By Daily Sports Nigeria on January 17, 2026

Brittany Ogunmokun rewrote Nigerian athletics history on Friday after setting a new national record in the women’s 500m at the NYC Gotham Cup 2026, clocking 1:10.00 to win a silver medal in her first race of the year, Saturday PUNCH reports.

Ogunmokun’s time eclipsed the previous national mark of 1:11.49 set by Regina George in Bloomington in 2016, ending a decade-long wait for an improvement in the event and underlining the 35-year-old’s enduring quality on the international circuit.

Competing indoors in New York, Ogunmokun finished second behind American Leah Anderson, who took gold in 1:09.58, with the Nigerian producing a composed and powerful run to secure her place in the record books.

The new mark also surpasses Ogunmokun’s own previous personal best of 1:12.62, recorded in Boston in 2009, and moves her clear at the top of Nigeria’s all-time list, ahead of Jennifer Adaeze Edobi’s 1:13.66 set in New York in 2016.

The performance adds another highlight to Ogunmokun’s decorated career, having been among the athletes who represented Nigeria with distinction at the 2024 African Games in Ghana, and signals a strong start to her 2026 season.

Elsewhere on the track, Nigeria also enjoyed success through Joshua Caleb, who impressed in front of home supporters at the LSU Purple Tiger Invitational.

The sprinter announced himself to the Louisiana crowd by storming to victory in the men’s 60m final in 6.67s, finishing ahead of Jaiden Reid, who ran 6.74s, while Camren Hardy placed third.

Source Punch Ng

Posted January 17, 2026

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