Special report: 2008 Olympic Games

    LAGOS, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- The Nigerian Olympians will face tough challenge on the track and field in Beijing and struggle to make headway in both individual and relay events, local media reported Sunday.

    Olusoji Fasuba, the country's brightest medal hopeful, is in fact just a dull glow of hope, much like what a lantern with little kerosene produces when the Power Holding Company of Nigeria strikes.

    Fasuba is Africa's fastest man and the continent's 100 meters record holder at 9.85, but he is so far down on the global ladder that he would be lucky to make the final.

    The 24-year-old, who set the African record in Doha, Qatar in May 2006, is yet to do a sub-10 seconds outdoor this year, although he won the IAAF World Indoor Champions 60m title in Valencia, Spain in March.

    While Fasuba has been struggling, with a season's best of 10.10 seconds, his rivals are easily beating the 10-second mark.

    Jamaica's Usain Bolt ran a 9.72 to break the world record in New York in May. Bolt, who, ominously, is a 200m specialist, has also done 9.76, the second best time in the world this year.

    His compatriot and the former world record holder, Asafa Powell, has also been in fine form, running five sub-10s this year, including the 9.82 he did in Monaco, France on July 29.

    America's Tyson Gay, Travis Padgett, Darvis Paton and Ivory Williams, Trinidad and Tobago's Mark Burns and Richard Thompson, and Jamaica's Nesta Carter have all run sub-10s this year.

    Apart from these men, many others have done better than Fasuba's 10.10, including Portugal's Francis Obikwelu and Qatar's Samuel Francis, who are both Nigerian-born.

    Fasuba will lead the Nigerian 4x100 relay team in Beijing and the Americans and Jamaicans will be the teams they will be looking forward to beat.

    It is definitely a tough task, since the other sprinters in the team are Obinna Metu, the shock Olympic trials winner whose best time this year is 10.16, Adetoyi Durotoye (10.16), Onyeabor Nwaogu (10.21), Uche Emedolu (10.21), Musa Deji (10.26) and Chinedu Oriala (10.27).

    Against teams with men who can easily do sub-10s and 10.00s, the Nigerian team has a mountain to climb.

    It is tough for Fasuba and his men to get any individual and relay honors in Beijing, But it is almost impossible for the women, especially on the individual front.