Justice Oratile in action at the African U20 Championships (© Chris Maduewesi / Making of Champions)
Nigeria’s Olympic finalist Prestina Ochonogor broke a 10-year-old championship record to win long jump gold, while Justice Oratile secured a gold medal treble at the African U18 and U20 Championships in Abeokuta, Nigeria.
The competition, held from 16-20 July at the MKO Abiola Sports Complex, provided the perfect platform for Africa’s rising talents to shine. Over five days of intense competition, several young athletes made a lasting impression, demonstrating that the future of track and field on the continent is secured.
Ochonogor was among them. In a league of her own in the U20 long jump, the 19-year-old African U20 record-holder leapt 6.71m to take the title. That shattered the championship record of 6.33m set a decade ago by her fellow Nigerian Ese Brume, who is now a multiple world and Olympic medallist.
Oratile is another athlete who has already made his mark on the senior stage, having formed part of the Botswana 4x400m team that placed third at the World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou in March. He gained three gold medals in Abeokuta, following his 200m and 400m titles with relay gold.
Kenya’s Clinton Owatinya had made a statement in the U20 100m, defeating South Africa’s Karabo Letebele and Nigeria’s John Caleb to win in 10.42 (-1.7m/s). Owatinya set a PB of 10.38 in the heats and shaved 0.02 off that time in the semifinals.
The Kenyan looked set to deliver a repeat performance in the 200m, as he clocked another PB of 20.97 in the semifinals. However, the final told a different story, as Oratile stormed to victory, securing his second individual title of the championships in 21.02.
Just two days earlier, Oratile delivered a stunning upset to clinch 400m gold, outpacing the home favourites to win in 45.58. Nigeria’s Ezekiel Asuquo clocked a lifetime best of 45.83 to earn silver, while his teammate Victor Sampson completed the podium.
South Africa’s Mukona Manavhela led the charge in the U18 100m, clinching gold in 10.62 after a thrilling duel with his teammate Jaydon Fourie, who took silver. Shortly after the sprint, Fourie returned to the long jump pit, where he got gold with a 7.43m jump.
The 16-year-old Manavhela extended his dominance to the 200m, where he stormed to the title in 21.29 (-0.7m/s).
In the girls’ event, Miracle Ezechukwu led a podium sweep for her nation in the 100m, winning Nigeria's first gold of the competition in 11.88 (-0.4m/s). Her training partner Rosemary Nwankwo followed in 11.96, while Mariam Jegede got bronze in 12.20.
Ezechukwu then turned her attention to the 200m, where she blazed to a PB of 23.87 (-0.2m/s), leading another Nigerian sweep. Nwankwo secured her second silver medal of the championships with a lifetime best of 24.01, while Perezide Sigah claimed bronze (24.26).
Nigeria’s Chioma Cynthia Nweke dominated the women’s U20 100m, leading a 1-2 finish for the host nation in 11.65 (-1.9m/s) ahead of Success Oyibu. The tables turned in the 200m as Oyibu avenged her earlier loss, powering to gold in a lifetime best of 23.53 and spearheading a Nigerian sweep.
Kenya claimed two medals in the U18 boys’ 400m courtesy of Simeon Araka and Robert Sang who claimed gold and bronze in 47.46 and 47.89, respectively. Ghanaian Odjer Tettey won his country’s first medal of the competition, snatching silver in 47.87.
Chioma Nwachukwu spearheaded a Nigerian 1-2 in the girls’ race in 52.47, with Hafsoh Majekodunmi trailing in 54.43. The U20 race saw Favour Onyah lead a Nigerian 1-2-3 in 52.47 ahead of Anita Enaruna and Toheebat Jimoh.
Uganda showcases strength in the long distances
Ethiopia’s 16-year-old Elsabet Amare executed a tactical masterclass in the U18 800m, sitting behind Kenya’s Vicody Chemutai until the final 200m before surging ahead to win in 2:02.96.
Kenya’s Nancy Jepngetich controlled the U20 race and clocked 2:04.14 to narrowly escape the onslaught of the North African duo of Nesrine Abed (Algeria) and Saida El Bouzy (Morocco). Moroccan Imad Bouchadja (1:49.17) won the men’s race and Bentalin Yeko of Uganda claimed the women’s U20 3000m crown (8:45.49).
Uganda dominated the women’s U20 5000m, with world U20 bronze medallist Charity Cherop storming to gold in 15:10.88, followed by her compatriot Risper Cherop, who claimed silver in 15:29.63.
Kenya’s Denis Kemboi won the men’s race in 13:22.80 from Morocco’s Ossama Erradouane and Uganda’s Samuel Cherop but Cherop got his revenge in the 10,000m, clinching victory in 28:20.07.
South African dominance in hurdles and field events
South Africa’s Phenyo Miyen stormed to U18 110m hurdles gold in a championship record of 13.27 (-1.5m/s), breaking the previous record of 13.31 set by his compatriot Naeem Jack two years ago. Jack kept the flag flying with his victory in the U20 final (13.73), edging out Algeria’s Gasmi Zehr Eddine (13.76).
There was a South African 1-2 in the U18 100m hurdles as Nieman Negon won ahead of Nokuthula Mthethwa, 13.84 to 14.35. Their teammates Myburgh Stiaan (U18 400m hurdles), Mbatha Njabulo (U20 400m hurdles) and Tumi Ramokgopa also secured victory – Ramokgopa completing a double by winning the U18 100m hurdles in 13.52 and the 400m hurdles in 57.97.
South Africa’s 15-year-old Joshua Gerber unleashed a throw of 64.48m to win the discus, just three centimetres short of Spaniard Hugo Casanas’ world age 15 best set in March. His compatriot Walter van Rensburg claimed gold in the U18 shot put (19.04m), following in the footsteps of his older brother, JL van Rensburg, who won the same event two years ago and secured silver at last year’s World U20 Championships.
Rising jumps talent Temoso Masikane of South Africa stunned the field in the U20 triple jump, soaring to a lifetime best of 16.03m to claim gold – despite the long jump being his primary event.
South Africa made history in the U20 high jump as Matha Nkosi and Mia Davel both claimed gold after clearing 1.70m. In the men’s event, Nigeria’s Honourable Victor Clement soared a PB of 2.10m – his first time surpassing the two-metre barrier – to secure gold.
Nigerian relay teams set commanding performances
Nigeria showcased its relay prowess across multiple age categories, starting with a dramatic U20 mixed 4x400m where Nigeria and South Africa rekindled their rivalry. Tumi Ramokgopa was in the lead on the anchor leg but as Favour Onyah closed in on her, the South African tripped and fell as Onyah powered down the home straight to bring the baton home in 3:22.07 for gold.
Nigeria’s Rosemary Nwankwo, Miracle Ezechukwu, Hafsoh Majekodunmi and Chioma Nwachukwu blazed to a championship record of 2:08.16 to win the U18 medley relay, while South Africa turned the tables on Nigeria in the boys’ race with a well-executed strategy – 1:53.52 to 1:55.55.
Nigeria clinched gold in both the men’s and women’s U20 4x100m finals, respectively clocking 40.25 and 45.58.
The Nigerian quartet of Odot Udo, Toheebat Jimoh, Anita Enaruna and Favour Onyah delivered a championship record of 3:37.02 to win the U20 women’s 4x400m, while Botswana was promoted to gold in the men’s race following the disqualification of Nigeria and Zimbabwe.
Yemi Galadima for World Athletics
