Abeokuta: Chioma Nwachukwu and Hafsoh Majekodunmi have won gold and silver medals respectively in the women’s junior (U-18) 400m category of the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) U-18/U-23 championship. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the CAA Championship, held in Abeokuta, Ogun, has 35 African countries participating in the event.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Nwachukwu ran 52.47 seconds to win the race, while Majekodunmi completed it in 54.43 seconds to claim second place. Bikes Biset of Ethiopia secured third place with a time of 55.31 seconds. Following her victory, Nwachukwu expressed her happiness and outlined her future plans, stating her intention to qualify for the upcoming world championship. She reflected on her past experiences, noting, “I zero my mind to get the gold medal at this tournament. In 2023, I won the trial, but I couldn’t participate because of my age. I will keep doing my personal best to qualify for future tournaments.”
Majekodunmi shared her initial apprehensions before the finals, as it was her first international outing. She appreciated Nwachukwu for her encouragement and expressed how the experience would boost her confidence for future competitions, particularly the upcoming national trials in Abeokuta. “This will encourage me ahead of national trials, I know I will be facing the heavyweights, but I am happy with my performance today and I know I will not be scared again having had my first international outing,” she stated.
Meanwhile, in the Men’s Junior (U-18) 400m event, Simeon Araka of Kenya emerged victorious with a time of 47.46 seconds. Ghana’s Odjer Tetley finished second with 47.87 seconds, while Robert Sang of Kenya came in third with 47.89 seconds.