Nigeria’s sprint sensation, Divine Oduduru is finally set to make his debut in the money-spinning IAAF Diamond League Friday evening at the Herculis EBS in Monaco, Completesports.com reports.
Oduduru, the 2019 NCAA double sprint champion who last month ran 9.86 seconds in the 100m and 19.73 seconds in the 200m on his way to becoming the second Nigerian after Olapade Adeniken to successfully complete a sprint double in the history of the championship was earlier scheduled to make his debut at the 2019 Athletissima in Lausanne, Switzerland last Friday but didn’t secure the entry visa early enough from his base in the USA.
The Nigerian has arrived Monaco and will be among the eight sprinters that will file out on to the Stade Loius 11 track for what promises to be an explosive race.
Also expected at the starting blocks with the Nigerian is reigning world 100m champion, Justin Gatlin of the USA who is coming to Monaco as the third fastest man so far this year over the distance and who holds the meeting record at 9.78 seconds set in 2015.
Others are 200m rave of the moment,USA’s Noah Lyles, the joint second fastest in the blue ribband event this year at 9.86 seconds whose 19.50 seconds run in Lausanne last Friday is the fourth fastest on the all time list and of course Filippo Tortu of Italy.
Oduduru will be seeking to prove his incredible runs at the NCAA Championships last June in Austin,Texas,USA where he ducked inside 10 seconds and 20 seconds in the 100m and 200m respectively in less than one hour are not by happenstance.
He will not only also be praying to overcome stage fright on his debut in IAAF’s elite one day meeting, he will also be seeking to run inside 10 seconds for the fifth time in nine races this term.
Oduduru has competed in eight 100m races so far this year and broke 10 seconds four times,equalling Olapade Adeniken’s feat in 1992 (the year Adeniken completed a sprint double in the NCAA) and overtaking the duo of Davidson Ezinwa and Seun Ogunkoya who ran inside 10 seconds three times in 1994 and 1998 respectively.
By Dare Esan
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Looking out for you and Blessing. More vim!