A new chapter has been written in Nigerian athletics history as Ella Onojuvwevwo delivered a sensational performance in the women’s 400m semifinals at the NCAA Championships, clocking a blistering 50.31 seconds — the fastest time by a Nigerian woman in 25 years.
Competing on one of the sport’s biggest collegiate stages at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, the 20-year-old sprinter didn’t just win her semifinal; she shattered her previous personal best and announced herself as a major force in global one-lap sprinting.
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Onojuvwevwo, a student-athlete at LSU (Louisiana State University), surged ahead of a high-quality field that included America’s Kaylyn Brown (50.91s) and Zimbabwe’s Vimbayi Maisvorewa (51.19s), both of whom couldn’t match the Nigerian’s finishing strength and control down the home stretch.
The feat not only cements her as a podium contender in Saturday’s final but also stands as a remarkable milestone in Nigerian track history. Her time of 50.31 seconds is now the fastest run by a Nigerian woman since Falilat Ogunkoya’s dominant years in the late 1990s. This period saw the former Olympic bronze medalist set the African record of 49.10 seconds.
A New Star for Team Nigeria
Ella’s rise has been steady and strategic, with her collegiate career providing a launchpad for technical improvement and high-level competition. As Paris 2024 approaches, her form will excite Team Nigeria officials and fans alike, with the women’s 4x400m relay and individual 400m events now in sharper focus.
The question now isn’t just whether she can make the Olympic standard — she already has — but whether Nigeria has just uncovered its next global sprint sensation.
What’s Next?
Ella will return to the track for the NCAA 400m final, where she’ll face even tougher opposition. But with her confidence surging and her name now trending in the athletics world, another record-breaking performance may be on the horizon.
