Nigerian sprinter Divine Oduduru has just smashed the World College 200meters record in the United States of America after he won two titles at the Big 12 Indoor Championship.
Running for his school, Texas Tech, Oduduru won the 60m and 200m at the Big 12 Indoor Championship in Lubbock, Texas.
Divine Oduduru smashes World College 200meters record in US
He first beat the field to win the 60m title for the first time ever at the Big 12 Championships with a Personal Best (PB) and School Record time of 6.52s.
The 22-year-old now holds Texas Tech’s 60m record.
Oduduru’s double in the sprints made him the men’s co-high point scorer of the meet.
His training partner, Andrew Hudson, finished second to Oduduru in both sprints, running 6.57 in the 60 and 20.55 in the 200.
Oduduru has a hard time containing his emotions when he wins, which is often. He was known for his joyous celebrations before he came to Tech.
“The celebration is a special one, I would say, in Nigeria,” he said at the presser after his race. “It’s a way of dancing and appreciating God, like, ‘God, thank you for all you’ve done for me. I’m going to show the world that I’m always grateful to you.’ So that is my dance.’”
That led to an even more animated dance than the one after the 60. Oduduru dashed across the track, to the corner of the building nearest the medal stand and gyrated for fans crammed into that area.
“I was never thinking I was going that fast in the 200,” Oduduru said, “but when I saw the time, I was like, ‘Woo, that’s a big one. I have to be grateful to God for that.’”
“You run 20.08, you probably deserve a dance or two,” sprints coach Calvin Robinson said.
Oduduru last competed for Nigeria at the 21st Senior African Athletics Championship held in Asaba, Delta State where he won the silver medal in the men’s 200m race.
JUST HOW FAST WAS IT, DIVINE?
▫️ World #️⃣1️⃣
▫️ U.S. #️⃣1️⃣
▫️ Big 12 Championships record
▫️ School record
▫️ Facility record
?: https://t.co/5ADi3GJkFn (@FloTrack)#WreckEm | #Big12TF pic.twitter.com/9us4whedkW
— Texas Tech T&F/XC (@TexasTechTF) February 23, 2019
Track needs more of this energy!
Converted NCAA No. 2 6.54 by Divine Oduduru to win the Big 12 title! pic.twitter.com/dO3O8vseTX
— FloTrack (@FloTrack) February 23, 2019
