Nigerian sprinter Olajide battles injury, misses Commonwealth Games 200m final
Nigerian sprinter Olayinka Olajide competed in the women's 200m semi-finals at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Thursday, finishing seventh with a time of 23.79 seconds. She revealed she was running through hand pain and had considered withdrawing before deciding to push through. Olajide said she had not originally planned to run the individual 200m; she arrived in Glasgow expecting to focus on Nigeria's 4x100m relay team, but was told she would also compete in the 200m. Because of her injury, she had not prepared for the event, having only trained for the 100 metres at national trials. After consulting her coach, she agreed to run for experience. Despite her effort, she missed the final, as British Virgin Islands' Adaejah Hodge won the race in a Commonwealth Games record of 22.01 seconds, ahead of Jamaica's Ashanti Moore in 22.49 seconds. Olajide admitted struggling to hide her emotions but said the experience taught her to listen to her body and her coach's advice, rating her feeling at six out of ten. She remains available for Nigeria's sprint relay team as the athletics campaign continues in Glasgow, where Nigeria has stayed Africa's highest-ranked nation and kept adding medals across events. What lesson will you take from Olajide's experience about balancing preparation and health in your own pursuits?