Team Nigeria’s Chioma Nwachukwu and John Caleb have expressed their excitement after clinching podium finishes at the ongoing CAA African U-18/U-20 Athletics Championships in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
On Day 3 of the competition, Nwachukwu delivered a dominant performance to secure Nigeria’s first gold medal, storming to victory in the U-18 women’s 400m final.
The teenage sensation clocked an impressive 52.47 seconds, finishing nearly two seconds ahead of her closest challenger, fellow Nigerian Hafsoh Majekodunmi, who ran a personal best of 54.43s to complete a one-two finish for the host nation.
Speaking after her win, Nwachukwu said her focus was on staying composed and running her own race.
“I just didn’t stress myself,” she said.
“I ran my own race and didn’t allow anyone to throw me off my pace. This is not new to me—I’ve been preparing for it, and I just focused on keeping my rhythm.”
Despite her commanding lead, the 17-year-old revealed she was conservative in her effort, mindful of the possibility of competing in the 200m later in the championship.
“I didn’t want to burn myself out. I’m not yet sure if I’ll be doing the 200m, so I was just trying to manage my pace and go a little faster than my Monday time.”
Looking ahead, Nwachukwu—who is not yet in the international testing pool—said she’s already setting her sights on greater achievements.
“This year is done for me, but next year I’m ready to go forward and achieve more for myself and my country.”
Silver medallist Hafsoh Majekodunmi was equally thrilled, particularly because the race took place in front of a cheering home crowd—and with her father watching from the stands.
“I was really scared this morning,” she admitted.
“Chioma has a personal best of 51 seconds, while mine was 55. On Monday, I ran 56 and had the third-fastest time, so I was worried.”
She credited her calm performance to the support she received from both her coach and teammate.
“Chioma told me, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll take the gold and you’ll take the silver,’ and that’s exactly what happened,” Majekodunmi said with a smile.
“My coach also advised me to just follow her pace and not stress. I thank God it worked out.”
Her emotional highlight came moments after crossing the finish line when she embraced her father.
“He told me not to be scared and reminded me how far I’ve come. That encouragement meant a lot.”
Meanwhile, in the U-20 men’s 100m final, John Caleb produced a dramatic late surge to snatch a surprise bronze medal with a time of 10.61 seconds. The Nigerian sprinter edged out Mozambique’s Steven Sabino, who placed fourth with 10.67s, in a tight finish.
Caleb said he didn’t realize he had secured third place until the official results were announced.
“I just dipped at the finish and hoped for the best. I didn’t know I came third. When I saw the result, I was really happy.”
Despite the joy of medaling, the 18-year-old believes he could have performed even better under ideal conditions.
“I was in great shape, but the schedule has been stressful. We’ve had to sleep late and wake up early every day. That took a toll, but I thank God I still managed to medal.”
A fourth-place finisher in both the 100m and 200m at the 2024 National Sports Festival, Caleb said this bronze medal on the continental stage has rekindled his belief ahead of upcoming national trials.
“I had good training coming into this, so now my focus is on improving my personal best at the trials,” he said.
“I know some of Nigeria’s top sprinters will be there, but the more I compete, the better I get. Everyone’s nervous in finals—anyone can win.”
Looking ahead, the young athlete has his sights set on the ultimate stage:
“In four years, I want to be competing at the Olympics. That’s the goal.”