Edidiong Udo’s Diamond League dream gets a big boost with incredible 45.61 400m run indoors
Edidiong Okon Udo may be majoring in Computer Science and Information Services at Ohio State University, but the 26-year-old’s post college plan is to turn professional and compete in the Diamond League, the elite one-day meeting series in global athletics comprising 15 of the most prestigious events in global track and field.
The Ohio State University freshman from Ikot Ekpene in Akwa Ibom state, South south Nigeria, served notice of making his dream a reality in a not too distant future when he ran 1:16.77 over the 600m indoors early last month, his first ever race indoors since he moved to the United States on track scholarship via the Scholar Books route to move second in the Nigerian all-time list behind Edose Ibadin (1:15.89) and 17th in Africa.
At the Texas Tech Stan Scott Memorial 2025, Edidiong, who ran 47.45 last year before leaving Nigeria albeit he holds a 46.84 lifetime best achieved in 2022, stormed to an incredible 45.61 that catapulted him to fourth in the Nigerian all-time list.
If Edidiong’s dream comes true, he will be the first Nigerian, man or woman, to run in the full lap event at the Diamond League.. and he may the first after Sunday Bada to win a medal in the event at the World Indoor Championships if he competes.
Bada, now late, holds the Nigerian record in the event indoors (45.51) and won three medals (gold and two silver medals) at the World indoors.
All eyes will now be on the 26 year old who looks to have shown glimpses of becoming the break out star of 2025 like Samuel Ogazi did in 2024.
