Onwuzurike chases World Championships ticket to Gothenburg, Sweden

After clocking 10.27s last week at the Meeting Maia Cidade do Desporto in Portugal, Nigeria’s 2021 World U20 200m champion, Udodi Onwuzurike, is looking to reignite his season and meet the entry standards for both the 100m and 200m events at the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September.

He’s listed to race this Tuesday at the Folksam Grand Prix Varberg, a World Athletics Continental Tour Challenger meet, held at Påskbergsvallen in Gothenburg, Sweden. The 22-year-old is yet to hit his blistering 2023 form, where he ran a sensational 9.92s in the 100m and 19.76s in the 200m.

So far this season, his best remains a modest 10.20s, and he must now either dip below the 10-second mark again or run at least a flat 10.00s to confirm his spot in Tokyo.

As things stand, only Kanyinsola Ajayi, who matched Onwuzurike’s 2023 best of 9.92s, has secured qualification.

With the Nigerian trials fast approaching, Onwuzurike will be hoping for a much-needed turnaround.