He didn’t care if he was running against Usain Bolt, all that mattered to him was crossing the finish line and qualifying for the semis. And yes he did it, Divine Oduduru made it through to the semis running a Personal Best (PB) of 20.34s to finish 2nd, behind Usain Bolt who won Heat 9 of the men’s 200m in 20.28s at the ongoing Rio Olympic Games.
Oduduru who was running from Lane 8, attacked the curve very fast and maintained his speed down the home straight, to wade off at least 4 other athletes who had better Personal Bests (PBs) and Season’s Bests (SBs).
The significance of his run cannot be overstated, beating much more favoured athletes such as Sudan’s Ahmed Ali and Japan’s Kei Takase with SB’s of 20.16s and 20.31s. In addition to this, he’s the only Nigerian male sprinter (100m, 200m or 400m) to have made it through to the semifinals in Rio, and his time is also the fastest by a Nigerian in recent years.
The Nigerian 200m Champion’s progress has been on a rise since the 2014 World Junior Championships, where he won a Silver medal for the country in a wind-aided time of 20.25s, before also winning the same medal colour at the 2015 All African Games in Brazzaville. This is certainly an improvement from Oduduru, and has proven that with the right guidance and training, he can compete with the best in the world on the global stage.
Oduduru may not be favourite for a medal, but one thing is sure; in the Semi-Final he will fear no one – after all, the man who made the expression “I never experred it” famous at the 2013 World Youth Championships once again become an internet sensation this week when an interview of him saying he wasn’t afraid of Usain Bolt recently resurfaced.
He will undoubtedly face the likes of Usain Bolt, Justin Gatlin or Yohan Blake in the Semi-Finals when the startlists are released shortly – perhaps this may be the beginning for Divine being mentioned in the same breath as his illustrious competitors!
Just over a month ago, after winning the 200m at the Nigerian Trials, Oduduru granted an explosive interview pleading for the President of Nigeria and Companies to come to the rescue of suffering athletes in Nigeria. That singular interview played a key role in compelling Union Bank to sponsor Team Nigeria to the Olympics and Paralympics, with Divine Oduduru as one of their 5 Brand Ambassadors.
Perhaps Oduduru’s success at the Olympics will now be a turning point for more Corporate Sponsors to come in and support Nigerian Athletes to long-term success on the global stage.
