Nigeria claimed two GOLD and one Bronze medal on Day 4 of the ongoing World Athletics U20 Championships taking place in Nairobi, Kenya.
Nse Imaobong became the fastest female junior over the 400m when she stormed to GOLD to win the event in a new Personal Best (PB) of 51.54s. She became the first Nigerian to win the women’s Junior 400m title since Folashade Abugan in 2008.
Nigeria’s latest sprint sensation Udodi Onwuzurike stormed to men’s 200m GOLD to become the first Nigerian to achieve that feat since Francis Obikwelu won the event in Sydney in 1996!
His winning time of 20.21s is a new National U20 Record and PB for the sprinter who is based in Michigan, USA.
Favour Ofili was the other medalist for Nigeria on the day as she clinched Bronze in the women’s 200m.
Running in between Olympic Silver medallist, Christine Mboma and Beatrice Masilingi of Namibia, the 2019 African Youth Champion in the event, got off to a great start and she kept pace with the two favorites.
With about 20m to go, Ofili kept pushing, hoping to get better of the Namibians, but she ran out of track, settling for 3rd in a new PB and NU20 record of 22.23s.
The quartet of Kingsley Unorji, Mabilo Nicholas, Adekalu Fakorede, and Godson Brume ran a new African U20 Record of 39.33s to qualify for the final of the men’s 4x100m, finishing 3rd in heat 1 to book an automatic spot. Brume, who ran through injury anchored the team, as they will bring in Udodi Onwuzurike to run the final on Day 5.
Before them, the quartet of Chidera Nnamani, Dubem Amene, Ezekiel Nathaniel & Bamidele Ajayi brought home the baton to win heat 1 of men’s 4x400m in a time of 3:06.70.
Shortly after Nathaniel helped his team qualify for the relay final, he laced his spikes to run in the semis of the men’s 400m Hurdles. He set the pace from lane 8 and going hard on the barriers, he was able to clinch 3rd in a new Personal Best of 51.39s to qualify for the final.
Infield, Best Erhire narrowly missed out on a podium placement, after failing all three attempts at 2.17m to finish 4th. Mateusz Kolodziejski jumped that on his last attempt to beat him to Bronze. David Aya finished 8th with 2.10m.
You omitted to mention Chinecherem Nnamdi who placed fourth in the javelin. I raise this because you recognised Erhire’s high jump fourth place.