* Udodi Onwuzurike claimed a World U20 Championship on Saturday in Nairobi, Kenya
Photo Credit: John Heider/USA Today Sports
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Udodi Onwuzurike claimed a career-defining win on Saturday.
The 2021 Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice (MI) High School graduate and Stanford University recruit secured a career best performance at 200 meters, finishing in a wind-legal 20.21 (+0.5) seconds to win a World U20 Championship inside Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi, Kenya.
Over two days, Onwuzurike ran personal record efforts of 20.47, 20.13w and 20.21, authoring three straight blitzkrieg performances en route to a World Junior title.
The Michigan athlete's top wind-legal performance finishes the year at U.S. No. 2, a hundredth-of-a-second behind Jaylen Slade's best of 20.20. Onwuzurike ran the third-fastest effort for a high school junior overall, beyind Erriyon Knighton's new World Junior Record of 19.84.
His performance set a new Nigerian U20 record.
By securing the win in the 200m final, Onwuzurike downed some of the top U20 athletes in the world, including second-place Letsile Tebogo of Botswana, who finished in 20.38 seconds. South African athlete Sinesipho Dambile was third in 20.48 seconds.
Onwuzurike confirmed it was the last high school race of his career.
According to Michigan journalist Jeff Hollobaugh, Onwuzurike's individual win is the first ever by a Michigan athlete and he is the 12th athlete from the state to medal at the World U20 Championships.
Onwuzurike is expected to finish off the World U20 Championships by featuring in Nigeria's 4x100 team.
Related Links:
World U20 Championships: Udodi Onwuzurike Makes Statement
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Men's 110mH: A day after securing a new World U20 record, French athlete Sasha Zhoya did one better, lowering his previous record by two-tenths-of-a-second in 12.72 seconds.
Women's 100mH: Baylor University athlete and native Jamaican Ackera Nugent also finished out her two-day journey, claiming a World U20 title in 12.95 seconds. She was the only athlete under 13 seconds.
