2. Divine Oduduru

Only a few Nigerian athletes can lay claim to the 2016 Athletics season being one of the best in their career, and Divine Oduduru is one of such.

The African Games Silver medallist demonstrated his consistency on the home front by winning several Golden League meets, and scooping two medals at the Nigerian Trials; a Silver medal in the 100m clocking a Personal Best (PB) of 10.25s, before regaining his 200m title from 2014 in 20.51s.

Divine Oduduru wins the men's 200m at the 2016 Nigerian Trials
Divine Oduduru on the podium after regaining his 200m title at the 2016 Nigerian Trials

Competing at the Rio Olympics, he built on his success as the country’s best home based sprinter, racing to a PB of 20.34s to place 2nd behind Jamaican legend Usain Bolt in his heat, thus qualifying for the semifinals. This made him the only Nigerian male sprinter to get to that stage at the Games.

His feat wasn’t just a surprise to so many fans around the world, but to Bolt as well who had to give him a big hand shake and hug, considering he finished well ahead of more experienced world sprinters.

Divine Oduduru shaking Usain Bolt after their 200m race at the Rio 2016 Olympics. Photo Credit: Jewel Samad, Getty Images
Divine Oduduru shaking Usain Bolt after their 200m race at the Rio 2016 Olympics. Photo Credit: Jewel Samad, Getty Images

Oduduru’s prowess in Nigerian sprints cannot be over-emphasized, taking note of the fact that he’s produced the country’s fastest times in the 200m in the past three years. With 2017 being a World Championship year, we can’t help but expect the best from the Nigerian Champion who will be aiming to run new PBs in his events.

He’s already an Olympic semifinalist; who says he can’t take it a step higher by becoming a World Championships finalist?

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Funmi Fameso is a Junior Sports Writer at Making of Champions. She is a 2012 Graduate of Lagos State University, where she obtained a BSc in Microbiology. She worked as a Health Centre Laboratory Assistant during her NYSC year and since then she has worked as a Junior Sports Writer for her church’s youth magazine, Kingsword Youth Club Magazine. It was watching the Sydney 2000 Olympics that ignited her passion of sports, most especially Athletics. Sports means three things to her: Passion, Hard Work and Dedication!

1 COMMENT

  1. Why did the writer state ” the light skinned sprinter”. That does not make her prettier, nor smart or faster. I can believe that this was published.

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