Samuel Ogazi is the new Nigeria 400m U18 record holder in the juniors after the 17 year old ran a stunning 45.35 lifetime best at the 2024 Battle on the Bayou held at the Louisiana State University’s Bernie Moore Track Stadium in Batont Rouge.
Ogazi was beaten to the top position in the final classification by Christopher Morales Williams who ran 45.18 to win but the Nigerian made history as the fastest Nigerian U18 to break 45.40 in the event.
Nduka Awazie from the east of Nigeria ran 45.44 to set the mark in Senegal in 1998. He was also world junior champion in the 400m event in a record that stood for all for 26 years until Ogazi, who came to the competition with a 45.91
lifetime best and 46.26 personal season’s best, crushed Awazie’s brilliant performance.
Meanwhile, Favour Ashe returned to action after an unfortunate brush, as it were, with the Auburn Police to prove he is not a one-race wonder sprinter.
The 21 year sped to a personal season’s best and world leading time best of 9.99sec. to win the 100m event at the Florida Relays in Florida.
He supplanted Japan’s Abdul Hakim Sani Brown (10.02)as the fastest man so far this season outdoor.
Also in near imperious form is Godson Oghenebrume who stormed to a 10.17 finish to finish third at the Battle of the Bayou.
Favour Ofili layed down the marker ahead of the Paris Olympic Games after she stormed to a wind-aided (2.6m/s) 10.85 finish to win the 100m event at her alma
matter.
The time is her fastest in all conditions but holds a legal 10.93 lifetime best.
In the women’s 400m, Ella Onojuvwevwo ran 53.03 to place eighth in the final classification while Imaobong Nse Uko was ranked 19th after she ran 55.37, her slowest time since she ran 55.59 in March 2019 at the Nigerian U20/U18 Championships in Ilaro.
(C) ControlTV 2024.
