Athletics

By Olawale Lawanson Alabi

Abeokuta, July 18, 2025 (CrestNewsOnline) Team Nigeria re-asserted the country’s dominance of the sprints on Thursday at the third CAA African Under-18/Under-20 Athletics Championships in Abeokuta.

It made a clean sweep of wins in the under-18 girls’ 100 metres final on the tracks of the M.K.O Abiola Sports Arena.

Miracle Ezechukwu blazed the trail when she won the gold medal in the event with 11.88 seconds.

She was followed closely by Rosemary Nwankwo (11.96 secs) who captained the Invited Junior Athletes (IJA) team at the 22nd National Sports Festival on the same tracks about two months earlier.

Miriam Jegede picked the event’s bronze medal with a time of 12.20 secs for a historic podium appearance.

Team Nigeria took this momentum into the under-20 girls 100m final, winning the gold and silver medals.

Chioma Nweke won first place in 11.65 secs, followed by Success Oyibu with 11.78 secs.

Nigeria only missed the bronze medal by the whiskers as its third qualifier, Chiamaka Nwankwo, narrowly missed out by finishing fourth in 11.98 secs.

In the boys’ category, Nigeria kept the flag flying with two bronze medals.

Clifford Igbigbidje clocked 10.89 secs in the under-18 100m final, while John Caleb’s 10.61 secs earned him the bronze medal in the under-20 final.

South African athletes took the gold and silver medals in both events.

Nigeria went on to win the under-20 4x400m mixed relay.

Favour Onyah led his teammates to securing the gold medal, making it Nigeria’s third gold medal of the day.

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