Udeme Okon won the gold medal for South Africa in the men’s 400m final at the U-20 world championships in Lima, Peru in the early hours of Friday.
Okon is now the second South African athlete to win gold at this year’s edition of the U-20 World Championships after Bayanda Walaza clinched gold in men’s 100m with a time of 10.19 seconds.
The 18-year-old crossed the line in 45.69sec ahead of Jayden Davis (46.08) and Sidi Njie (46.29) to retain the title for South African after Lythe Pillay’s triumph in Colombia two years ago.
Born on September 3, 2005, Okon who is a grade 11 pupil from Florida Park High School in Johannesburg, has a Nigerian father and South African mother.
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Meanwhile, after three days of action South Africa occupy second spot on the medals table behind Ethiopia with two gold, one silver and a bronze.
Walaza, the 100m winner in Peru, will attempt to give the country a monopoly on the men’s sprint golds when he bids to win the 100-200 double on Friday night (Saturday morning).
Walaza, also 18, was the quickest in the semifinals on Thursday night (Friday morning SA time), winning his heat in 21.00sec, ahead of American Jaden Wiley in 21.04.
