World U-20 Athletics Championships: Nigeria Miss 100m Finals, Mixed Relay Exits Early
Nwankwo, Godwin bow out in semifinals as Gift Bright suffers injury setback in Eugene
Team Nigeria endured a challenging opening day at the 2026 World Athletics U-20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon, with Chigozie Rosemary Nwankwo and Tejiri Godwin failing to progress to the 100 metres finals after promising performances in the heats.
The mixed 4x400m relay team also exited in the opening round, while Gift Bright’s 100m campaign ended on a disappointing note after the Nigerian sprinter appeared to suffer an injury during his heat.
Nwankwo had earlier secured her place in the women’s 100m semifinals after finishing third in Heat Three in 11.57 seconds.
However, she could not secure a spot in the final, finishing fifth in her semifinal in 11.54 seconds. Shanoya Douglas won the race in 11.21 seconds, ahead of Mariah Maxwell, who clocked 11.25 seconds.
Godwin also advanced from the men’s 100m heats after finishing second in his opening-round race in 10.39 seconds, just behind Great Britain’s Jake Odey-Jordan, who ran 10.38 seconds.
The Nigerian, however, finished sixth in the first semifinal in 10.34 seconds and was eliminated from medal contention.
South Africa’s Marko Ferreira won the semifinal in 10.13 seconds, with Kyler Brown second in 10.16 seconds.
For Bright, the men’s 100m heats ended in frustration.
After making a strong start, the Nigerian appeared to pull up midway through the race but continued to finish fifth in 10.60 seconds.
Bright is now hoping to recover in time to compete in the 200m and 4x100m relay, with Nigeria still seeking its first major breakthrough at the championships.
Earlier, Nigeria’s mixed 4x400m quartet of Dominion Udoh, Jecinta Lawrence, Perfect Faye and Faith Ezechukwu clocked 3:26.35 to finish sixth in their qualifying heat.
With only the top three teams advancing directly to the final, the Nigerian quartet was eliminated at the first hurdle.
The opening day therefore ended without a Nigerian finalist in the 100m or mixed 4x400m relay, leaving Team Nigeria with another opportunity to challenge for honours as the World U-20 Championships continue in Eugene.
