Motunde Smith
At the Orange and Purple Invitational meeting in Clemson, South Carolina, USA on Saturday, Samuel Ogazi, a Paris 2024 Olympic Games 400m finalist, clocked 34.11 secs in the 300m event, securing eighth place overall.
The 18-year-old Nigerian was making his debut in this distance, in a race where he was expected to compete against compatriot Consider Ekanem, a standout performer of this indoor season in the NCAA. However, Ekanem did not participate.
Ogazi’s 34.11 is the second-fastest by a Nigerian in this event this year, following James Onwuka’s 34.00 secs on 18 January. It also ranks as the ninth-fastest time ever recorded by a Nigerian in this event.
At the same competition, Mississippi State’s freshman Nicholas Adekalu Fakorede made waves for the second consecutive day by setting another personal best.
Fakorede achieved 21.16 secs in the 200m event, finishing seventh and establishing a new personal record. This performance came just a day after he set a lifetime best of 6.60 secs in the 60m event.
Fakorede’s 200m time is the 17th fastest ever recorded by a Nigerian in this discipline.
In other meets, Chidi Okezie opened up his season at the Astana Indoor Meet in Kazakhstan, finishing third in the men’s 400m in 46.99 secs, behind Great Britain’s Alex Haydock-Wilson (46.45) and Ericsson Tavares (46.72) of Portugal.
Auburn University sophomore Kayinsola Ajayi finished first with 6.67 secs while freshman Israel Okon tied for third (6.69) in the preliminary round of the men’s 60m at the Samford Invitational inside the Birmingham CrossPlex, Alabama on Friday January 17. However, in the semifinal round, Okon crossed the line in 6.64, finishing the round first overall. Ajayi finished third with a time of 6.72.
