Ejowvokoghene Divine Oduduru has won the 100 meters race at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championships in 9.86 seconds.
Ejowvokoghene Divine Oduduru is now officially the second fastest African ever just behind his compatriot and legend Olusoji Fasuba (9.85 seconds 13 years ago in Doha).
About 45 minutes after his heroics in the 100 meters, Oduduru won the 200 meters in 19.73 seconds, both times wind-legal.
Though Ejowvokoghene Divine Oduduru was the Nigeria record-holder in the 200 meters before the race (on the 7th of June 2019), he has lowered the record again with his winning time, which is third fastest in the world this year.
Oduduru opened up to the IAAF official website in an emotional interview; revealing his grass to grace story.
The sprinter is the youngest of 10 children and he grew up in abject poverty in the small rural village of Ovworo near the town of Ughelli in Southern Nigeria.
Ejowvokoghene Divine Oduduru told the IAAF website that each day he had to help out his father (now late) on the small farm to cultivate crops.
“Life was really tough. For everyone, it was a struggle to survive. We walked to and from school and some days I didn’t eat, I was starving. It is only when I came home to the farm I get something to eat like Garri (a flour grain).
I knew that I wanted to create a platform for myself and I was determined not to end up the same way as others.”
