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Udeme Okon has done the unthinkable. The 18-year-old South African sprinter of Nigerian origin came back from behind to win the gold medal in the 400m event at the World Under-20 Athletics Championships held at Lima in Peru.
Okon clocked 45.69 seconds to win the race ahead of Jayden Davis of the USA, who clocked 46.08 seconds to win the silver medal. Sidi Njie of the USA won the bronze medal with a time of 46.29 seconds.
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With this, Okon has become only the second South African to win the event since Lythe Pillay, who had clocked 45.28 seconds to win the gold medal at the 2022 edition of the Under-20 World Championships held at Cali in Colombia.
Udeme Okon is also the second South African sprinter to win a gold medal at the current edition of the Under-20 World Championships. Bayanda Walaza surprised many by winning gold in men's 100m with a time of 10.19 seconds.
Udemy Okon's parents and early life
Udemy Okon was born on September 3, 2005. He has a mixed heritage since his father is a Nigerian by birth and his mother belongs to South Africa.
Okon himself revealed this in an interview after the 400m event. He said (via The Athletic Heat on Instagram):
"So I was actually born in South Africa. My father is Nigerian, and my mother is South African, so yeah I grew up in South Africa."
The teenager received his primary education at Florida Park High School in Roodepoort, which is situated in Johannesburg. Apart from this, nothing much is known about Udeme Okon's early life.
Udeme Okon's early achievements
Udemy Okon, who took to athletics only a year ago in 2023, participates in the 100m, the 200m, and the 400m events.
Okon recorded a personal best of 20.54 seconds in 200m in May 2024 at the national under-20 championships for South African athletes held in Pretoria. He also recorded a personal best time of 10.34 seconds in 100m at the ACNW Track and Field League held in Potchefstroom.
However, it was his performance of 45.41 seconds in 400m in the same tournament [ACNW Track and Field League] that helped him qualify for the World Under-20 Championships being held at Lima in Peru.
Udeme Okon's chances of succeeding Wayde van Niekerk
Udeme Okon is now being considered as a promising athlete in the 400m event, as he belongs to the same nation as Wayde van Niekerk, former Olympic champion and the current world record holder in this discipline. The 32-year-old athlete shocked the world when he broke the 400m world record, clocking 43.03 seconds to win the Olympic gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics. He participated only in the 200m event at the Paris Olympics and failed to go beyond the semifinals.
However, there's a difference between the former Olympic champion and Udeme Okon. Wayde van Niekerk never won a medal at the Junior World Championships, his best attempt being a fourth-place finish at the 2010 edition.
Udeme Okon is only 18 years old, which means that he has at least four years ahead of him in which he can grow and improve upon his timing. If Okon maintains his consistency, sky is the limit for him.
