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The 2024 MTN CHAMPS Continental Relays began on a high note in Lagos on Wednesday, with an action-packed Day 1 that delivered excitement, energy, and a string of impressive personal records.
Taking place across two major venues — Yabatech and the University of Lagos Sports Complex — the event saw young athletes from across Nigeria competing fiercely for medals and points on behalf of their schools and teams.
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The sprint events, especially the 100m and 400m races, produced a flurry of Personal Bests (PBs), setting the tone for a thrilling athletics weekend.
Two-time Olympian Emmanuel Ojeli was one of the standout performers, smashing his three-year-old PB in the men’s 100m semifinals with a blazing time of 10.24s.
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He comfortably won his heat, finishing ahead of Emmanuel Babalola (10.55s) and Ganiu Hassan (10.63s).
Also in strong form was Favour Ashe, fresh from a stellar showing at the Niger Delta Sports Festival.
He clocked a wind-assisted 10.14s to take his heat, beating ThankGod Igube (10.23s), while Chidera Ezeakor controlled his semifinal with a solid 10.43s, ahead of Oriyomi Akala (10.56s).
In the women’s 100m, Iyanu Bada delivered one of the most exciting performances of the day.
After running a PB of 11.48s in the prelims, she went even faster in the semifinals with 11.38s, showing she’s a name to watch.
Janet Adesiyan and Favour Odiyeye followed in the same heat, clocking 11.88s and 11.97s, respectively.
In the junior men’s category, John Caleb stood out by recording a PB of 10.38s in the semifinals, making him the fastest qualifier in his division.
Qudus Akintoye (10.59s) and Abdulrahman Jimoh (10.61s) completed the top three semifinal times.
On the junior women’s side, Lucy Nwankwo of Team MTN impressed with a PB of 12.07s, the fastest across all semifinal heats.
Her teammate Azeezat Muhammed-Raji followed closely with 12.20s, while Ojone Akubo-Adegbe rounded out the top three in 12.47s.
The men’s 400m heats saw Samson Nathaniel top the field with a Season’s Best (SB) of 46.20s, followed by Benjamin Magaji, who won his heat in 48.28s to rank second overall.
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In the women’s 400m, another two-time Olympian, Patience Okon George, opened her season with a time of 53.19s, while Miracle Donald-Uwem thrilled the crowd by setting a new PB of 54.59s, winning her heat and securing the second-fastest overall time.
As Day 1 came to a close, athletes, coaches, and fans were left buzzing with anticipation for what was to come.
With personal records falling left and right, MTN CHAMPS Lagos is already shaping up to be a showcase of Nigeria’s rising track and field stars.
