The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has officially confirmed Brittany Ogunmokun as the new African record holder in the women’s 500m indoor event.
In a statement released on Friday, the federation announced that Ogunmokun’s outstanding time of 1:10.00—initially recognised as a Nigerian national record—has now been ratified as a new African record following further verification and research.
The previous continental mark of 1:11.48, set by Ghanaian athlete Akua Obeng-Akrofi on February 2, 2018, has now been surpassed, making Ogunmokun the fastest African woman in the history of the women’s 500m indoor event.
Confirming the achievement, AFN Performance Director and Liaison, Victor Okorie, described the feat as a landmark moment for Nigerian athletics and a significant milestone for the continent.
Ogunmokun delivered the historic performance at the NYC Gotham Cup 2026, where she clocked 1:10.00 to claim silver in her season opener. Competing indoors in New York, the 35-year-old finished second behind American Leah Anderson, who won gold in 1:09.58.
The time erased the long-standing Nigerian national record of 1:11.49, set by Regina George in Bloomington in 2016, ending a near decade-long wait for a new benchmark in the event. It also marked a major improvement on Ogunmokun’s previous personal best of 1:12.62, achieved in Boston in 2009.
With the performance, Ogunmokun now tops Nigeria’s all-time 500m rankings, ahead of Jennifer Adaeze Edobi, who recorded 1:13.66 in 2016.
Her composed and controlled run not only secured a podium finish but also rewrote both national and continental record books.
The achievement adds another highlight to Ogunmokun’s decorated career, following her notable appearances for Nigeria at the 2024 African Games in Ghana, and signals a strong start to her 2026 athletics campaign.
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