Can Godbless, Udo-Gabriel and Umukoro translate incredible indoor performances to sub 11 seconds outdoor?

The trio of Tima Godbless, Joy Udo-Gabriel and Success Umukoro ended their 2025 NCAA indoor campaign with incredible performances.

Godbless stormed to a 7.08 lifetime best to move joint third with Endurance Ojokolo in the Nigerian all-time list while Udo-Gabriel’s 7.11 NCAA division 2 title winning run was not just a DII all-time record, National Meet Record and the MSSU School Record, it also moved her to joint 10th in the Nigerian all-time list.

Umukoro also ran a new personal best in the concluded NCAA indoor season as her 7.13 effort moved her to joint 11th in the Nigerian all-time list.

The big question agitating the mind of Nigerians is: Can they transfer their indoor form to the outdoor season and break 11 seconds in the 100m?

Many athletics watchers are convinced they can and have justified their optimism citing how Favour Ofili and Rosemary Chukwuma transferred their indoor form to run very fast outdoor.

Ofili, the Paris 2024 Olympics 200m finalist ran her first sub 7.20 race in 2022, setting a 7.17 lifetime best. That same year, she legally broke 11 seconds over the 100m twice, running 10.93 on both occasions. She also ran a wind- aided 10.90 that same year.

Chukwuma also served notice of a possible sub 11 seconds performance in the 100m when she ran 7.17 in 2022. That year, she ran inside 11 seconds (10.99) for the first time in her career.

Just last year, she ran 7.10 in the 60m event and transferred that form to the outdoor season where she stormed to a 10.88 finish which catapulted to second on the Nigerian all-time list behind Blessing Okagbare (10.79).

Okagbare nearly broke 11 seconds in 2010, the year she won the NCAA indoor 60m and long jump titles. She ran 7.18 to win the title and ran 11.00 outdoor that season.

Godbless came close to breaking 11 seconds last season with the 11.03 lifetime best she ran last May and many athletics watchers are confident she will certainly become the eighth Nigerian woman to achieve the feat.

Udo-Gabriel will be seeking to fulfil her potential this year and has served notice of that with her blistering form indoors. What is certain is that she will certainly run faster than the 11.34 personal best she ran in Lagos in 2021.

Umukoro will also be challenged to run faster than the 11.29 lifetime best she ran two years ago, the year she ran 7.38 indoors.