Udeme Okon, an 18-year-old Nigerian representing South Africa, clinched the gold medal in the 400m finals at the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, Peru.
Okon on Friday morning became the new World Junior Champion, finishing the race in 45.69 seconds. He outpaced two American competitors, Jyaden Davis (46.08) and Sidi Njie (46.29), to secure the victory.
The ongoing World Athletics U20 Championships, previously known as the World Junior Championships, began on August 27th and will conclude on August 31st, 2024, in Peru.
Okon's achievement has been celebrated internationally, in stark contrast to the recent controversy surrounding Miss Chidinma Adetshina, which highlighted tensions between the two countries.
It was gathered that Okon’s profile on his Instagram page, #udeme_sprints, shows both the Nigerian and South African flags, signifying ties to both nations.
On Friday, the World Athletics posted a video on X with the caption “It’s Okon’s moment South Africa’s Udeme Okon claims the 400m gold with an incredible comeback in the home straight 45.69.”
The 18-year-old Athlete has now succeeded Lythe Pillay who won it for South Africa at the 2022 edition of the U-20 World Championship in Columbia.
Meanwhile, the post has sparked several reactions from South Africans and Nigerians alike.
There was a recent controversy surrounding Miss Chidinma Adetshina, a South African-born model of Nigerian and Mozambican descent, which sparked significant debate and tension between South Africans and Nigerians.
According to reports, Adetshina’s eligibility to compete in the Miss South Africa pageant was questioned after her dual citizenship came to light. Critics reportedly argued that her participation undermines the opportunities for other South African-born candidates.
The scrutiny over her citizenship and background intensified, which led to Adetshina’s withdrawal from the Miss South Africa competition, citing concerns for her safety.
Following her withdrawal, she was invited to compete in the Miss Universe Nigeria pageant, in which she emerged as the winner.
According to the report, it has further complicated the situation given the uncertainty around her Nigerian citizenship status.
However, it seems the reactions from South Africans indicate they have no issue with Okon winning the gold medal on their behalf.
The U-20 gold medalist revealed in an interview his origin addressing the doubts of Nigerians as to why he represented South Africa.
Okon 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."
