Anabel Orobosa Frank will be dreaming big after throwing herself into the final of the women’s shot put in her debut at the Commonwealth Games.
In only her third competition of the year, the reigning Nigerian champion threw 16.26m to place fifth in her qualifying group, but it was enough to get her into Wednesday’s final where her target will be to become only the second Nigerian after Vivian Chukwuemeka to make it to the podium in the event.
For the 27-year-old, it will take more of a wish however as she will need to throw way above her 17.21m personal best set at the Athletics Federation of Nigeria All-Comers event last March in Benin City to get to the podium. The Nigerian is up against Canada’s Sarah Mitton, the number three ranked woman in the world so far this year with a personal season’s best of 20.33m and who threw 18.24m at the Games to qualify for Wednesday’s final.
Jamaica’s Danniel Thomas-Dodd also looks like an insurmountable hurdle for Orobosa after throwing 18.44m to qualify for the final and she is ranked the eighth best in the world this year.
New Zealand’s Maddison-Lee Wesche is also ranked in the top 10 in the world this year and will fancy her chances of making the podium ahead of the rest of the chasing pack including Orobosa.
The New Zealander threw 18.08m in qualifying for the final.
England’s Nigeria-born Divine Oladipo will also fancy her chances of finishing in the top three above Orobosa after throwing 17.09m in the qualifying round.
Chukwuemeka won Nigeria’s first medal in the event, a gold at the 2002 Games held in Manchester, United Kingdom and settled for the silver medal four years later in Melbourne, Australia.
By Dare Esan in Birminghan
