Fast-rising Nigerian female athlete, Imaobong Nse Uko is basking in the euphoria of her stunning achievement of three goal medals at the 2021 World U-20 Athletics Championship in Nairobi, Kenya, where the competition ended on Sunday.
Megasportsarena.com reports that, having already won two gold medals in the women’s 400m and mixed 4x400m, Uko inspired her 4x400m teammates to a world U20 lead of 3:31.46 after putting the squad in pole position for gold.
The championships ended with a flourish on Sunday with more records tumbling, as the Jamaican women and the South African men broke world U20 marks in the 4x100m relays, adding to the two world U20 records set by France’s Sasha Zhoya in the men’s 110m hurdles.
Kenya made the best of home advantage to top the medals’ table with eight gold, one silver and seven bronze medals, ahead of Finland (4, 1, 0), Nigeria (4, 0, 3), Ethiopia (3, 7, 2) and Jamaica (3, 6, 2).
From more than 100 countries that competed in Nairobi, 18 teams won gold medals, 35 won medals and 63 had top eight finishes.
Kenya, Finland, Nigeria and Botswana were among the countries that had their best ever world U20 championships. Namibia and Israel won their first gold medals and Cyprus won its first medal.
On the last day of events in the Kenyan capital, Uko built on the good start from Opeyemi Oke and overtaking Jamaica’s Aalliyah Francis to hand the baton to Ella Onojuvwevwo in first position.
The emergent quarter-mile heroine’s delight was echoed by her teammate and Louisiana State University (LSU) fresh intake, Favour Ofili, who had just helped the 4x100m team to bronze less than an hour before.
Ofili consolidated on the lead and anchored the team to gold, her third medal of the global youth track and field competition, as Jamaica posted a season’s best of 3:36.57 for silver.
Italy’s squad of Alessandra Iezzi, Federica Pansini, Angelica Ghergo and Alexandra Almici were the surprise bronze winners, having returned a time of 3:37.18 to cross the line ahead of India.
Ofili, who helped Team Nigeria improve on their third-place finish in Tampere three years ago, said: “I think it’s God’s grace and the individual determination of each of us to win something here, that’s what brought us together to win the gold.”
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