Ado Maude made history as the first Nigerian to run in the 800m event at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.
Like Maude, Ibadin didn’t make it to the semi-finals, but he expressed a deep sense of confidence in the growth of the event in subsequent major tournaments.
“I actually did some research, and I thought I was going to be the first one, but I saw back in 1988 that there was another guy (Maude), the former national record holder, who was able to compete at the Games,” Ibadin told Making of Champions.
“So, I’m glad to be able to compete here as well and clear up a 36-year-old drought. I don’t take that lightly, being able to represent Nigeria in this event. It gives me hope for the future, and hopefully, more Nigerians will take on the 800m, and hopefully, they can make more Olympics and more World Championships.
“That’s the main reason I’ve decided to run for Nigeria, just because of how under-represented it is in 800m, and I was also told that I could possibly make a difference in the middle distance running for Nigeria.”
