Onojuvwevwo breaks 27-year record, qualifies for Olympics

Ella Onojuvwevwo, Nigeria's quarter-miler, became the latest Nigerian track and field athlete to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics on Saturday, finishing second in the women's 400m heat at the SEC Outdoor Championships in Florida, USA, in 50.57 seconds.


The LSU student shattered the school's 27-year record and beat the Olympic qualifying requirement of 51.00 seconds, making her the fastest Nigerian woman since Falilat Ogunkoya's 50.50 seconds semi-final run at the 2001 IAAF World Championships in Edmonton, Canada.

Last Sunday, Onojuvwevwo ran the second leg for Nigeria's mixed 4x400m relay team, which qualified for the Paris Olympics in the Bahamas.

She joins Tobi Amusan (women's 100m hurdles), Udodi Onwuzurike (men's 200m), Edose Ibadin (men's 800m), Ruth Usoro (women's long jump), Chukwuebuka Enekwechi (men's shot put), Favour Ashe (men's 100m), Favour Ofili (women's 200m), and Ezekiel Nathaniel (men's 400m hurdles).

Other Nigerians who qualified for the final of their events at the ongoing SEC are: Favour Ashe of Auburn University, who won his heat in 10.13 seconds; Godson Brume of LSU, who won his heat with a season-best time of 10.05 seconds, the fastest in the heats; Kanyinsola Ajayi, also of Auburn, who won his heat with a personal best time of 10.13 seconds; the University of Alabama's Samuel Ogazi, who won his 400m heat in 45.49secs, and LSU’s Tima Godbless, who made it to the final of the women’s 100m with a time of 11.32 seconds, one of the best times in the heats.

Opeyemi Oke of Auburn University failed to make it to the final of the women’s 400m, running a personal best time of 53.22secs in her  heat.