Wikipedia

Divine Oduduru

Ejowvokoghene Divine Oduduru (born 7 October 1996) is a Nigerian sprinter specializing in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash.[8] He holds personal bests of 9.86 seconds for the 100 m and 19.73 seconds for the 200 m. The latter is a Nigerian national record.[9]

Divine Oduduru
Oduduru winning the 200 m at the 2018 NCAA Division I Championships
Personal information
Full nameEjowvokoghene Divine Oduduru
Born (1996-10-07) 7 October 1996 (age 28)
Ughelli, Delta State, Nigeria[1]
Years active2007 – present
Height170 cm (5 ft 7 in)[2]
Weight70 kg (154 lb)[3]
Sport
CountryNigeria
SportAthletics
Sprints100 meters, 200 m
College teamTexas Tech Red Raiders (2018, 2019)
TeamPuma[4]
Turned pro2019[5]
Coached byWes Kittley[6]
Calvin Robinson[7]
Achievements and titles
Personal bests
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  Nigeria
African Championships
Gold medal – first place 2014 Marrakesh 4×100 m relay
Silver medal – second place 2018 Asaba 200 m
Silver medal – second place 2018 Asaba 4×100 m relay
African Games
Silver medal – second place 2015 Brazzaville 200 m
Silver medal – second place 2019 Rabat 4×100 m relay
Silver medal – second place 2019 Rabat 200 m
World Junior Championships
Silver medal – second place 2014 Oregon 200 m
African Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place 2015 Addis Ababa 100 m
Gold medal – first place 2015 Addis Ababa 200 m
Gold medal – first place 2013 Réduit 200 m
Gold medal – first place 2015 Addis Ababa 4×100 m relay
Gold medal – first place 2013 Réduit 4×100 m relay
African Youth Championships
Gold medal – first place 2013 Warri 100 m
Gold medal – first place 2013 Warri 200 m
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Warri Medley  relay
Updated on 3 February 2023

In age category competitions, he was a twice-champion at the African Youth Athletics Championships,[10] a five-time African Junior Champion in the sprints[11] and the 200 m silver medallist at the 2014 World Junior Championships.[12] He represented his country as a senior athlete at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and 2014 African Championships in Athletics, before winning 200 m silver medals at the 2015 and 2019 African Games as well as the 2018 African Championships.[13]

He is a two-time Nigerian national champion[14] and is a four-time NCAA champion in American collegiate competition, running for the Texas Tech Red Raiders.[15] He is sponsored by Puma.[4]

Career

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Under-20 competition

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He was the gold medalist in both the 100 metres and 200 metres at the 2013 African Youth Athletics Championships.[16] He was a finalist in the 200 m at the 2013 World Youth Championships in Athletics.[17] He won the 200 m at the 2013 African Junior Championships[17] and was also a member of the Gold medal winning 4 × 100 m relay quartet.[18] He successfully defended his 200 m title at the 2015 African Junior Championships and also added the 100 m and 4 × 100 m gold medals to his tally.[19] This made him a five-time African Junior Champion.

Oduduru became known for his interviews, with his interviews at the 2013 World Youth Championships in Athletics gaining popularity among fans, including his phrase 'deadly day'.[20][21] Memes and videos have been generated using his responses to journalists. He lamented the inadequate support for Nigerian athletes and made a plea for sponsorship during the 2016 Nigeria Championships.[22]

In 2014, he dipped under 21 seconds for the first time. He became the Nigerian National Champion in the 200 metres.[23] After setting a PB of 20.66 s in the semifinals at the 2014 World Junior Championships, he went on to win the silver medal in a windy 20.25 s behind Trentavis Friday of the US.[24]

Senior career

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He led off the Nigerian 4x100 metres relay team at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, a team supported by former American athletes, Monzavous Edwards and Mark Jelks, who were running for Nigeria in their first international relay.[25][26]

Due to illness, he pulled out of the 2015 Nigerian Championships and could not defend his 200 m title. He, however, bounced back for the All-Africa Games in Brazzaville. Oduduru ran a PB of 20.45 s into a headwind of 1.2 m/s to win the silver medal behind Ivorian sprinter, Hua Wilfried Koffi.[27] His team mate and 2015 Nigerian champion Tega Odele placed third. Oduduru was selected for the 200 m at the 2016 African Championships in Durban. After posting the second-fastest time in the semifinals, he did not run in the finals due to injury.[28]

At the 2018 Michael Johnson Invitational meet in Waco, Texas, Divine improved his personal best in the 100 m to 10.10 s, improving the Texas Tech school record by 0.01 s.[29][6] A year later at the same meet he improved his personal bests and set world-leading times of 9.94 s and 19.76 s, in the 100 m and 200 m respectively.[7] His time in the 200 m broke the national record of 19.84 s set by Francis Obikwelu in 1999.[30]

During 2019, he focused mainly on collegiate competition. He set a personal best in the 60-meter dash at the 2019 Big 12 Indoor Championships, running 6.52 seconds for the distance to win the regional title. He also won the 200 m Big 12 Indoor title.[31][32] At the 2019 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships he won the 200 m title and placed seventh in the 60 m final. At the Big 12 Outdoor Championships, he won the 100 m in 9.99 seconds, having broken the 10-second barrier for the first time at the earlier Michael Johnson Invitational meet. He also helped the Texas Tech Red Raiders to the 4 × 100 m relay title. At the 2019 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships, he won a sprint double in the 100 m and 200 m, as well as taking third in the 4 × 100 m relay. His 100 m time of 9.86 seconds was the fastest in the world at that point of the season, and his 200 m time of 19.73 seconds was a championships record.[33]

Oduduru made his debut on the 2019 IAAF Diamond League circuit at the 2019 Herculis meet, but finished in last place.[8]

2023: Prohibited substance suspension

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On February 9, 2023, Athletics Integrity Unit announced that Oduduru had been provisionally suspended for possession/use or attempted use of a prohibited substance (two potential Anti-Doping Rule Violations) in connection with the case of Blessing Okagbare, his compatriot banned for 11 years in 2022. Oduduru faces a six-year ban.[34] On October 12, 2023, the AIU gave him a six-year ban starting from February 9, 2023. All of his results from July 12, 2021 were disqualified.[35]

Statistics

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Personal bests

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Event Time Wind Venue Date Notes
60 m indoor 6.52 i — Lubbock, TX, U.S. 23 February 2019
100 m 9.86 +0.8 m/s Austin, TX, U.S. 7 June 2019
200 m 19.73 +0.8 m/s Austin, TX, U.S. 7 June 2019 NR
200 m indoor 20.08 i — Lubbock, TX, U.S. 23 February 2019 NR #3 all time
4×100 m relay 38.45 — Austin, Texas, U.S. 7 June 2019

Seasonal bests

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Year 100 metres 200 metres
2013 10.61 21.13
2014 10.39 20.66
2015 10.37 20.45
2016 10.25 20.34
2017 10.09 w 20.45 w
2018 10.10 20.13
2019 9.86 19.73
2020 10.10 20.22
2021 10.05 19.88

International competitions

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Representing   Nigeria
Year Competition Venue Position Event Time Wind (m/s) Notes
2013 African Youth Championships Warri, Nigeria 1st 100 m 10.62 +0.7
1st 200 m 21.56 −1.5 PB
3rd Medley relay 1:54.58 — PB[36]
World Youth Championships Donetsk, Ukraine 21st 100 m 11.05 −1.3 [37]
1st (semi 2) Medley relay 1:52.90 — Q[note 1], PB
6th 200 m 21.37 −1.0
African Junior Championships Réduit, Mauritius 1st 4×100 m relay 40.36 — PB
1st 200 m 21.19 −3.6
2014 World Junior Championships Eugene, OR, United States 2nd 200 m 20.25 w +2.3 Wind-assisted
5th 4×100 m relay 39.66 — PB
Commonwealth Games Glasgow, Scotland 6th 4×100 m relay 40.17 —
African Championships Marrakesh, Morocco 1st (semi 1) 4×100 m relay 39.51 — Q[note 2], PB
6th 200 m 20.81 −0.8
2015 African Junior Championships Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 1st 100 m 10.44 −1.1 SB
1st 200 m 21.22 −2.3
1st 4×100 m relay 39.99 — SB
World Relays Nassau, Bahamas DQ (semi 1) 4×200 m relay — — Passing outside zone[40]
African Games Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo 1st (semi 2) 4×100 m relay 38.97 — Q[note 3], PB
2nd 200 m 20.45 −1.2 PB
2016 African Championships Durban, South Africa 1st (semi 3) 200 m 20.48 +1.6 Q[note 4]
Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 20th 200 m 20.59 −0.3 [43]
2018 African Championships Asaba, Nigeria 2nd 4×100 m relay 38.74 — PB[44]
2nd 200 m 20.60 NWI [44][45]
2019 African Games Rabat, Morocco 2nd 4×100 m relay 38.59 —
2nd 200 m 20.54 −0.8
World Championships Doha, Qatar 22nd (sf) 200 m 20.84 −0.1
2021 Olympic Games Tokyo, Japan DQ (heat 5) 100 m — +0.6 False start
9th (sf) 200 m 20.16 −0.2

National competitions

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Representing the Texas Tech Red Raiders (2018–2019)
Year Competition Venue Position Event Time Wind (m/s) Notes
2014 Nigerian Championships Calabar, Cross River, Nigeria 6th 100 m 10.54 −2.3
1st 200 m 20.87 −1.3
2016 Nigerian Championships Sapele, Delta, Nigeria 2nd 100 m 10.25 0.0 PB
1st 200 m 20.51 0.0
2018 NCAA Division I Indoor Championships College Station, Texas, U.S. 6th 60 m 6.62 —
2nd 200 m 20.21 —
NCAA Division I Championships Eugene, Oregon, U.S. 11th 100 m 10.12 +1.2
13th 4×100 m relay 39.37 —
1st 200 m 20.28 0.0
2019 NCAA Division I Indoor Championships Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. 7th 60 m 6.62 —
1st 200 m 20.49 —
NCAA Division I Championships Austin, Texas, U.S. 3rd 4×100 m relay 38.45 — PB
1st 100 m 9.86 +0.8 WL, PB[46][47]
1st 200 m 19.73 +0.8 NR, CR, PB[46][47][48]
  • NCAA results from Track & Field Results Reporting System.[49]

Track records

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As of September 2024, Oduduru holds the following track records for 100 metres and 200 metres.

100 metres

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Location Time Windspeed
m/s 		Date
Norman 9.99 + 0.3 12/05/2019
Waco 9.94 + 0.8 20/04/2019

200 metres

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Location Time Windspeed
m/s 		Date
Austin, Texas 19.73
NR		 + 0.8 07/06/2019
Waco 19.76 + 0.8 20/04/2019

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ The team qualified for the final with Oduduru in the semis,[38] but he was replaced in the final with another runner; The squad that ran in the final finished 7th.[39]
  2. ^ The team qualified for the final with Oduduru in the semis, but he was replaced with another runner in the final; The squad that ran in the final finished first, earning the team gold medals.
  3. ^ The team qualified for the final with Oduduru in the semis,[41] but he was replaced with another runner in the final; The squad that ran in the final was disqualified.[42]
  4. ^ Qualified for the final, but did not start (DNS) in it.

References

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  1. ^ "Divine Oduduru". texastech.com. Texas Tech Red Raiders. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
  2. ^ "Divine Oduduru". pintaram.com. Asaba 2018. 13 July 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  3. ^ "Divine Oduduru". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  4. ^ a b "PUMA signs NCAA 100/200 superstar Divine Oduduru + 100h world leader Janeek Brown to endorsement deals". letsrun.com. 11 July 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  5. ^ Zahn, Jennifer (13 June 2019). "A Running List Of College Athletes Going Pro In 2019". flotrack.org. FloTrack. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  6. ^ a b "Tech sports roundup: Oduduru sets school record in 100 meters". lubbockonline.com. Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. 21 April 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  7. ^ a b Dede, Steve (22 April 2019). "Nigerian sprinter Divine Oduduru runs 2019 world fastest time in 100m and 200m". pulse.ng. Pulse (Nigeria). Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  8. ^ a b c "ATHLETE PROFILE Divine ODUDURU". World Athletics. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  9. ^ "Nigerian athletes who could break Fasuba's 14-year-old African record". guardian.ng. 4 April 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  10. ^ Olus, Yemi (20 September 2016). "Nigerian Olympians Oduduru, Erayokan confirmed for Top Sprinter 2016". MAKING OF CHAMPIONS. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  11. ^ Ezekute, Nnamdi (21 April 2019). "Oduduru: I worked For My 100/200m Feats At Michael Johnson Invitational". Complete Sports. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  12. ^ Akani, Bambo (26 July 2014). "Oduduru wins 200m World Junior Silver with wind-assisted 20.25s, equalling 5th fastest Nigerians all-time!". MAKING OF CHAMPIONS. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  13. ^ Maduewesi, Christopher (14 May 2018). "Oduduru sets new 200m PB of 20.13s to win Triple titles in Texas". MAKING OF CHAMPIONS. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  14. ^ "Oduduru: I was frustrated with the AFN". TheCable. 2 October 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  15. ^ "Team Visa welcomes Nigerian track and field sprinter Divine Oduduru to their Tokyo 2020 cohort". Pulse Nigeria. 23 January 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  16. ^ "African Athletics » Nigeria's Oduduru all fired up for Ouagadougou next week". www.africanathletics.org. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
  17. ^ a b "VIDEO: I worked for it and I got it, says world best sprinter Divine Oduduru". Punch Newspapers. 21 April 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  18. ^ "IAAF: Ethiopian and Nigerian athletes impress at African Junior Champs| News | iaaf.org". iaaf.org. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
  19. ^ "IAAF: 5000m double for hosts Ethiopia at African Junior Championships| News | iaaf.org". iaaf.org. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
  20. ^ IAAF Official (13 July 2013), WYC Donetsk 2013 - Ejowvokoghene Divine ODUDURU NGR - 200m Boys - Semi-final, retrieved 20 July 2016
  21. ^ IAAF Official (12 July 2013), WYC Donetsk 2013 - Ejowvokoghene Divine ODUDURU NGR - 200m Boys - Heat, retrieved 20 July 2016
  22. ^ MakingOf Champs (11 July 2016), "Nigerian Athletes are Suffering!" - Divine cries out to Sponsors to come to their rescue!!!, retrieved 20 July 2016
  23. ^ "Divine Oduduru, 200m World Junior Silver Medallist vying for African Crown!". Making of Champions. 8 August 2014. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
  24. ^ "Day four report: TGI Friday for sprint fans – IAAF World Junior Championships, Oregon 2014| News". www.worldathletics.org. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  25. ^ "Glasgow 2014 - Ejowvokoghene Oduduru Profile". g2014results.thecgf.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
  26. ^ "Results - Mens 4x100m Relay - Athletics - Glasgow 2014 - Commonwealth Games - BBC Sport". www.bbc.com. Archived from the original on 29 July 2014.
  27. ^ "IAAF: Kenya's 4x400m men finish off the All-Africa Games in style| News | iaaf.org". iaaf.org. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
  28. ^ Olus, Yemi (9 July 2016). "Divine Oduduru storms to 200m title at Nigerian Trials in Sapele". MAKING OF CHAMPIONS. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
  29. ^ Johanna Gretschel (23 April 2018). "NCAA Weekend In Review: Josh Kerr Sets NCAA Record, TeeTee Terry Breaks Out". flotrack.org. FloTrack. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  30. ^ Umunna, Isaac (22 April 2019). "How Divine Oduduru Broke Nigeria's Sprint Jinx". economywatchng.com. Economy Watch Nigeria. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  31. ^ Don Williams (23 February 2019). "Texas Tech men win Big 12 track title in a runaway". lubbockonline.com. Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
  32. ^ Jon Mulkeen; Bob Ramsak (25 February 2019). "Brazier clocks 600m world best in New York, Lisek and Kendricks clear 5.93m world lead in Clermont Ferrand: Weekend indoor round-up". iaaf.org. IAAF. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
  33. ^ Jordon, Roy (2019-06-09). Oduduru blasts to 100/200 double at NCAA Championships, Holloway sizzles 12.98 . IAAF. Retrieved 2019-08-11.
  34. ^ Dickinson, Marley (9 February 2023). "Four-time NCAA champion facing six-year ban for doping violations". Canadian Running Magazine. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  35. ^ "Athletics-Nigerian sprinter Oduduru banned for six years for doping violations". The Star. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  36. ^ "Full results of the 1st African Youth Championships". webcaa.org. Confederation of African Athletics. 31 March 2013. Archived from the original on 5 June 2013. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  37. ^ "100 Metres Boys - Semi-Final" (PDF). IAAF. 11 July 2013. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  38. ^ "Medley Relay Boys - Round 1" (PDF). IAAF. 13 July 2013. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  39. ^ "Medley Relay Boys - Final" (PDF). IAAF. 14 July 2013. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  40. ^ "Results 4 x 200 Metres (2 laps) Men - Round 1" (PDF). iaaf.org. IAAF. 3 May 2015. p. 1. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  41. ^ "4 x 100 Relay - Men - First Round" (PDF). African Games. 14 September 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  42. ^ "4 x 100 Relay - Men - Final" (PDF). African Games. 16 September 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  43. ^ "Men's 200m - Standings". Rio 2016. Archived from the original on 20 August 2016. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  44. ^ a b "African championships, Asaba (Nigeria) 1-5/08/2018". africathle.com. Africathle. 5 August 2018. Archived from the original on 24 April 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  45. ^ Gowon Akpodonor (29 August 2018). "U.S.-based sprinter, Oduduru spits fire, alleges neglect by government". guardian.ng. The Guardian (Nigeria). Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  46. ^ a b Bret Bloomquist (7 June 2019). "Oduduru leads Texas Tech track to first-ever men's NCAA championship". El Paso Times. Retrieved 8 June 2019.
  47. ^ a b Roy Jordan (8 June 2019). "ODUDURU BLASTS TO 100/200 DOUBLE AT NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS, HOLLOWAY SIZZLES 12.98". iaaf.org. IAAF. Retrieved 8 June 2019.
  48. ^ Tunde Eludini (8 June 2019). "Divine Oduduru becomes second fastest African, sets new Nigerian record". premiumtimesng.com. Premium Times. Retrieved 8 June 2019.
  49. ^ "DIVINE ODUDURU TEXAS TECH". tfrrs.org. Track & Field Results Reporting System. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
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