NIGERIAN athletes, led by world record holder Tobi Amusan, were dominant in the United States of America and Jamaica overnight, winning big races and setting new records.
Women’s 100m hurdles world record holder Amusan was in fine form at the Jamaica Athletics Invitational, overcoming a poor start to beat a strong field in a world leading time of 12.40 seconds.
The Commonwealth and African champion won the race ahead of her friend and current world champion Danielle Williams of Jamaica, who clocked 12.46s, and USA’s Christina Clemons, who was third in 12.54s.
In the US, Nathaniel Ezekiel ran a personal best of 48.00s to break his own 400m hurdles Nigerian national record and win the Big 12 Championship ahead of defending champion Caleb Dean of USA (48.43s), while Oskar Edlund finished third in 48.82s.
Ezekiel’s 48.00s is also the third fastest in the world this year and the eighth fastest of all time in Africa.
Samuel Ogazi also set a new record in the US overnight, returning a personal best time of 44.58s, which is the second fastest time in the NCAA this season.
The teenager’s time is also a new school record for the University of Alabama and the second fastest by a Nigerian in history behind only Innocent Egbunike’s 44.17s.
Ogazi, 17, qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics with that performance and became the first Nigerian since Orukpe Erayokan in 2015 to run a sub-45s in the 400m.
Godson Brume was also in fine form overnight as he earned himself a ticket to the Paris 2024 Olympics.
He returned a personal season’s best of 9.99s to retain his SEC Championship title, running his first sub-10s of 2024.
Another Nigerian Kanyinsola Ajayi ran his second personal best in two days, clocking 10.09s to finish seventh in the race, while Favour Ashe did not start.
In the women’s 100m, Rosemary Chukwuma clocked a personal season’s best of 11.12s to win the final at the Big 12 Championships in Texas.
The Nigerian sprinter finished ahead of Iyana Gray, who was second in 11.24s and Kevona Davis, third in 11.32s.
Temitope Adeshina of Nigeria also won the Big 12 women’s high jump in Waco, Texas title with the successful clearance of 1.90m.
The Texas Tech student defeated Cierra Allpin, who jumped 1.83m, and Saara Hakanen with 1.80m.
