Tag: Champion

Athletics / BBNaija / Sports

BBNaija star Mike Edwards crowned 2-time Nigerian high jump champion

Big Brother Naija (BBNaija) star Mike Edwards has emerged as the Nigerian high jump champion once again.

The 32-year-old Edwards was crowned Nigerian high jump champion at the ongoing 2022 National trials.

Edwards made his mark at the National trials organized by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN. Edwards a former British high jump athlete was in action at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, Edo State. Edwards, an African Champion Silver medalist, added another laurel to his list by successfully defending his National title at the trails.

He became the high jump champion after scaling a season best of 2.20m.

Edwards took to his official Instagram account to celebrate his latest achievement.

Along with a photo of the event, was a message that said, “TWO TIME NIGERIAN NATIONAL CHAMPION #AndStillJOB FINISHED. SB: 2.20m road back to Commonwealth Games.”

Edwards is expected to be part of Nigeria’s contingent to the 2022 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XXII Commonwealth Games in Birmingham starting this July.

Edwards missed out of the 2018 edition in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, sanctioned by the International Amateur Athletic Federation and International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

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Sports / Tennis

Iga Swiatek wins French Open, defeating Coco Gauff in women’s final

On the eve of her first Grand Slam final, 18-year-old Coco Gauff insisted that nerves wouldn’t be an issue, vowing to hit freely and compete as if she had nothing to lose in Saturday’s French Open championship.

That was more easily said than done against world No. 1 Iga Swiatek, whose ruthless efficiency didn’t give Gauff a chance to find anything resembling comfort on the red clay of Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Swiatek raced to a 6-1, 6-3 victory in 68 minutes to claim her second Grand Slam just days after turning 21. At the 2020 French Open, she was an unseeded 19-year-old who became a national heroine overnight as the first tennis player from Poland to win a major. With her triumph Saturday, Swiatek extended her winning streak to 35 matches.

In an on-court trophy ceremony tinged with tears on both players’ parts, Gauff congratulated Swiatek on her achievement and voiced hope that they would meet in future Grand Slam finals. “And maybe I can get a win on you one of these days,” Gauff said with a giggle, wiping her tear-streaked face.

Swiatek, after thanking her family and supporters, particularly those who waved Poland’s flag so proudly throughout the two-week tournament, spoke directly to Gauff as her own tears fell.

“I can see every month you are progressing, all the time,” Swiatek said. “When I was your age, [it] was my first year on tour, and I had no idea what I was doing! You will find it.”

Then she addressed the people of Ukraine.

“I want at the end to say something to Ukraine: To stay strong because the war is still there,” said Swiatek, who competes with a yellow and blue ribbon on her cap in solidarity with Ukraine, a neighbor of Poland.

Swiatek wanted this French Open title badly, she revealed afterward.

When she won it at 19, before a largely empty stadium at the height of the pandemic, it left her “confused” and feeling a bit “lucky,” she said.

On Saturday, a second French Open title

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Sports / Tennis

Rafael Nadal wins record-extending 14th French Open title with straight-sets victory against Casper Ruud

After a year-long hiatus, the “King of Clay” reigns once more in Paris.

Rafael Nadal claimed a record-extending 14th title at the French Open as he defeated Norwegian Casper Ruud 6-3 6-3 6-0.
The Spaniard dominated Sunday’s final and won 11 consecutive games across the second and third sets to wrap up a 22nd grand slam title — two ahead of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic at the top of the men’s all-time list.
The victory also means the 36-year-old Nadal, who won his first French Open title 17 years ago, becomes the oldest men’s singles champion at Roland Garros.
“For me personally, it’s very difficult to describe the feelings that I have,” Nadal said in his on-court interview after the game. “It’s something that I for sure never believed I’d be here at 36, being competitive again, playing in the most important court of my career one more final — it means a lot to me.”
It was a case of the master against the apprentice at Roland Garros on Sunday with Ruud, who has trained at the Rafael Nadal Academy in Mallorca since 2018 and admired Nadal when he progressed through the tennis ranks, appearing in his first grand slam final.
But the 23-year-old was outclassed by Nadal in what was the first time the two had faced each other.
Having led 3-1 at the start of the second set, Ruud saw the contest slip away from him and failed to register a game in the final set.
He later paid tribute to Nadal, saying in his on-court interview: “We all know what a champion you are and today I got to feel how it is to play against you in the final. It’s not easy and I’m not the first victim — I know that there have been many before.”
Nadal was defeated by Djokovic in the semifinals of last year’s French Open — ending a run of four consecutive titles — but defeated his rival in the quarters this year before a walkover against Alexander Zverev 
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