Falilat Ogunkoya Hails Onojuvwevwo’s Qualification for Paris 2024

Nigerian quarter miler, Ella Onojuvwevwo,  produced a stunning 50.57secs run yesterday to qualify for the women’s 400m event of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France. It is Nigeria’s fastest  women’s 400 time in almost 24 years.

Onojuvwevwo, 19, achieved the feat at the NCAA Southeastern Conference Outdoor Championships that ended yesterday.  And in celebrating Onojuvwevwo’s all-time personal best feat, African women’s 400m record holder, Falilat Ogunkoya,  tipped the Louisiana State University undergraduate to go far if she stays focused and work harder.

“It’s a heartwarming development, she has qualified for the Olympics,” observed Ogunkoya who’s 49.10secs African record achieved at the Atlanta 1996 Games remains untouchable in 28 years.

“Ella needs to work harder than ever to reach the final of the Olympics.

“I believe she can drop 48 sometime in the future, but it is going to take a lot of hard work… running 49 is not an easy job, so she needs to be focused and listen more to her coach,” Ogunkoya told mainlandmetronews.com.ng. Onojuvwevwo’s time erased the LSU 27-year-old record of 50.60 seconds.

Onojuvwevwo who represented Nigeria at the African junior Championships in Zambia 2021, has consistently made an improvement to her race. She clocked 51.85 seconds, followed by 51.31 in April and at the World Relays her split was 50.45secs.