Onojuvwevwo Delivers Nigeria Women’s First Commonwealth Games 400m Medal in 32 Years
Ella Onojuvwevwo delivered Nigeria’s first Commonwealth Games women’s 400m medal in 32 years on Saturday but fell just short of ending the country’s 36-year wait for gold in the event, settling for bronze at the Glasgow 2026 Games.
The 21-year-old clocked 51.00 seconds to finish third behind Jamaica’s Dejanea Oakley, who stormed to gold in 50.21 seconds, while defending champion Sada Williams of Barbados claimed silver in 50.99 seconds.
Onojuvwevwo came within one hundredth of a second of Williams in a thrilling finish, with her time of 51.00 narrowly denying Nigeria a first Commonwealth Games women’s 400m title since Fatima Yusuf’s historic victory at the Auckland 1990 Games.
Despite missing out on gold, Onojuvwevwo ended Nigeria’s 32-year medal drought in the women’s one-lap event. Before Saturday’s race, the country’s last medal in the event had come at Victoria 1994, where Fatima Yusuf won silver four years after her memorable gold medal triumph.
The bronze also makes Onojuvwevwo only the third Nigerian woman to win a Commonwealth Games medal in the women’s 400m, following Fatima Yusuf and Charity Opara, who claimed bronze in Nigeria’s famous one-three finish at Auckland 1990.
Wales’ Charlotte Henrich finished fourth in 51.16 seconds, Scotland’s Nicole Yeargin placed fifth in 51.27, England’s Yemi Mary John was sixth in 51.60, Canada’s Lauren Gale came seventh in 52.01, while Botswana’s Obakeng Kamberuka finished eighth in 52.53.
