By Ben Efe

Damola Osayomi won Nigeria’s first track and field medal yesterday, at the New Delhi 2010 Common-wealth Games.

She was one of the favorites for the gold, following the non-appearance of top six world leaders in the field. But Osayomi, who ran the second fastest time from semi-final, succumbed to the pressure heaped on the runners after a false start was recorded due to excessive noise from the crowd.

Osayomi was left behind at the block as she had to dip deep into her reserve of energy to level up with the field, but Australia’s Sally Pearson who had the fastest time in the semi-final was just too strong to contend with, she finished 11.28 seconds to win the gold a rare achievement for the Aussies.

Osayomi took the silver with a time of 11.32, while Natasha Mayers of St Vincent and the Grenadines took the bronze with 11.37 seconds.In the men’s race Ogho-Oghene Egwero who was doing marvelously well during the rounds failed to qualify for the final and the lot fell on Peter Emelieze. He was nowhere near the medal zone where Leorne Clarke of Jamaica reigned supreme.

Clarke, the only man in the final to have broken 10 seconds in the past two years, dipped over the line in 10.12 to capitalise on world record holder Bolt and fellow Jamaican, defending champion Asafa Powell, choosing not to compete.

It was a powerful run in hot and humid conditions but, ultimately, very slow and a long way off Ato Boldon’s Common-wealth record of 9.88 and even further behind Bolt’s 9.58 world record.

English hope Mark Lewis-Francis followed up his recent European championship silver with another one here, clocking 10.20 at a half-empty Jawaharlal Nehru stadium.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Aaron Amstrong grabbed bronze in 10.24, but there was huge disappointment for promising young Jamaican Oshane Bailey who pulled up injured after the semi-finals and didn’t race the final.