Ella Takes Positive Despite Missing Athletics Ultimate Championship Podium
Nigerian 400m specialist Ella Onojuvwevwo has chosen to focus on the positives after crashing out at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, Hungary.
Onojuvwevwo failed to qualify for the women’s 400m final but was encouraged by her ability to close the season with a 50-second run against a strong international field.
Making her debut at the Ultimate Championship, the Nigerian described the opportunity to compete among the world’s leading athletes as a major achievement.
“First of all, I give glory to God for making me be here and be among the top 15. It’s a really big win for me this season,” Onojuvwevwo said.
“The experience has been fun, meeting new people and everything.”
The 400m runner admitted that the cold conditions made her preparations for the race difficult, but she was satisfied with her performance.
“It was kind of cold, trying to warm up, but the weather didn’t make me warm up really good,” she said.
“But coming out and running 50 to close up the season is really good for me.”
Onojuvwevwo also welcomed the chance to compete alongside established stars, including Poland’s Natalia Kaczmarek, whom she has raced against several times.
“I ran with her in the Olympics, and I’ve run with her in several races already, so it’s really good running with her again,” she said.
The Nigerian believes her transition from the NCAA circuit to regular competition at the highest international level has strengthened her confidence.
“I would say it’s really good because coming out from the NCAA season and still being able to compete is really good,” she explained.
“I think it really changed a lot because now I get to compete with more of the top athletes and no longer with just the NCAA. It’s really good, and I’m really hoping to get more experience here.”
Her breakthrough campaign also included a historic medal at the Commonwealth Games, an achievement she believes has transformed her confidence.
“I would say more confidence in putting on my spikes and going again and again,” she said.
While her Ultimate Championship campaign ended without a podium finish, Onojuvwevwo can look back on a season in which she broke the 49-second barrier twice.
She described her first sub-49 performance as the standout moment of her campaign.
“I didn’t really expect the time because it was just the first race of the season. I didn’t know what I had. I was like, okay, let me just go and run,” she said.
“When I saw the time was 49, I was like, ‘Jesus, really?’”
“I would say it’s a win getting to run sub-49. Running 49 twice in a year is really good for me.”
With the Ultimate Championship marking her final competition of the season, Onojuvwevwo is now looking forward to a period of rest before beginning preparations for next year’s World Championships.
“Just chill, because this is the last meet for me this season,” she said. “So I’m really glad to just run it up with the Ultimate Championships.”
Looking ahead, she plans to work on consistency and address the areas of her performance that require improvement.
“Train more, be more consistent on my time, and pick up what I didn’t do well now and just try to improve more to prepare for the World Championship next year,” she said.
Despite missing the final and podium in Budapest, Onojuvwevwo leaves the Ultimate Championship with renewed confidence after a breakthrough season and another opportunity to test herself against the best in the world.
