By Landing Ceesay
The American-based Gambian sprinter, Wurrie Njadoe is delighted to have won her first gold medal for the Gambia at the ongoing Islamic Games in Konya, Turkey.
The young sprinter first represented the Gambia at the just concluded Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.
She competed in both 100m and 200m respectively and finished 4th in the 100m heats and couldn’t qualify for the next round; but qualified for the semi-final of the 200m race.
Njadoe was unable to cruise to the final, after finishing the 200m race with a timing of 23:95, which could not give her a place in the finals alongside her country mate Gina Bass.
Meanwhile, at the ongoing Islamic Games in Konya, Turkey Wurrie qualified to the 200m Semi-finals with a timing of 23:47 that gave her the second spot in the race.
In the Semi-final of the 200m race, Wurie finished 2nd and qualified to the finals, then finished 4th in the finals.
Wurie then made history with her country mates Ola Buwaro, Maimuna Jallow and Gina Bass by winning the 4×100m relay finals with a national and game record timing of 43:83 seconds.
Wurrie and her colleagues were decorated with a gold medal, which is the Gambia’s first gold medal in 4×100m relays in the history of the Islamic Games.
Speaking with this reporter, Wurie expressed delight at winning her first medal for the Gambia.
“It was everything I hoped it would be like. It was great having that moment with my teammates. We all went out and did our absolutely best. It was an honour running with them. They have inspired me in many ways, and I look forward to competing with them in the future,” she told this reporter.
Wurrie Njadoe was born in Sibito village in the Gambia in 1997 and moved to the United States of America at the age of 9.
She is also an all-American finisher in the long jump, which is the top 8 finisher of all collegiate athletes.
Our reporter would have an exclusive interview with Wurrie Njadoe once the ongoing Islamic Games in Konya, Turkey is over.