World Athletics U20 Championships: Udoh Opens Bid to Become Nigeria’s First 400m Medalist Since 1998
Nigeria’s David Dominion Udoh will begin his bid to end a 28-year wait for a medal in the men’s 400m when he lines up in the opening round of the World Athletics U20 Championships in Oregon, USA, on Thursday.
The 15-year-old prodigy has been drawn in Heat Four, where he will run from lane six against a strong field that includes Guyana’s Malachi Austin (44.87), South Africa’s Kryn Romijn (45.79), Botswana’s Junior Phatsima (46.31) and Italy’s Riccardo Fumagalli (46.85).
Udoh enters the championships with a season’s best of 46.62 seconds, with the first three finishers in each of the seven heats qualifying automatically for the semi-finals alongside the next six fastest athletes overall.
Should Udoh progress through the rounds and reach the podium, he would become the first Nigerian in 28 years to win a medal in the men’s 400m at the World U20 Championships since Nduka Awazie claimed gold at the 1998 edition in Annecy, France.
His campaign also comes at a time when Nigeria is seeking to re-establish itself as a force in one-lap racing at the global junior level.
Udoh has already shown remarkable composure despite being one of the youngest athletes in the field, and his performance in Thursday’s heats will provide the first indication of whether he can mount a serious challenge against a field led by world-leading Americans Quincy Wilson (44.84 this season) and Jayden DeLeon (44.52), as well as several sub-45-second contenders from across the globe.
