By Daily Sports Nigeria on April 5, 2026

Nigeria’s Ella Onojuvwevwo continued her scintillating 2026 season with a blistering 49.59s run over 400m at the Battle on the Bayou in Louisiana, setting a new world lead and rewriting the record books, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Her performance is the fastest by a Nigerian woman since Falilat Ogunkoya’s 49.52s in 1998 and the first sub-50-second 400m by a Nigerian woman since 1999.

Competing for Louisiana State University, Onojuvwevwo’s effort not only secured victory at the meet but also set an LSU record, the NCAA season lead, and ranks as the 10-fastest time in NCAA history.

It positions her seventh on the African all-time list and fourth on Nigeria’s all-time performers list.

Peace Nwaelehia of Texas A&M finished second in 52.74s, while Favour Onyah of SE Louisiana clocked 52.83s.

Onojuvwevwo’s indoor form had already hinted at her dominance, as she broke the African indoor 400m record with a time of 50.28s during the NCAA Indoor Championships at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Arkansas.

That run marked her as the fastest woman globally for the indoor season and an LSU school record, consolidating her reputation as one of the world’s most formidable 400m runners.

In Florida, Blessing Ogundiran also made headlines by breaking the NAIA women’s 100m record at the Embry Riddle Classic, clocking a personal best of 11.21s (+0.5).

She surpassed the previous 11.28-second mark set by Jamaica’s Jura Levy in 2014.

Ogundiran also recorded a personal best in the 200m prelims with a 23.59-second run, her first official sub-24 performance.

Other Nigerians produced notable performances at the Battle on the Bayou.

Charles Godfred earned second place in the men’s long jump with a best of 7.92m, narrowly beaten by Jamaica’s Jordan Turner, who leapt 7.95m.

Adaobi Tabugbo ran a season-best 13.03s (+1.0 m/s) to finish fourth in the women’s 100mH at the Miramar Invitational.

Source Punch Ng

Posted April 6, 2026

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