Ezechukwu clocks African outdoor lead over 200m as MTN CHAMPS Jos ends in style

It was an electrifying three-day spectacle at the New Jos Stadium as the MTN CHAMPS Continental Relays came to a fitting close in Jos, Plateau State.

The final day delivered thrilling action, with the 200m and relay finals providing a worthy climax to the competition.

Fresh off her impressive 100m victory in 11.26s, N-Youth Sports’ Miracle Ezechukwu returned to the track determined to complete a sprint double in the Junior women’s 200m.

The national leader emphatically rose to the occasion, storming to a massive Personal Best (PB) of 22.91s to successfully defend her title.

Her performance not only secured the double but also positioned her as the fastest African woman outdoors over 200m in 2026.

Remarkably, she becomes the first Nigerian to break the 23-second barrier on home soil since 2021.

Her teammate, Rosemary Nwankwo, found redemption after her 100m disappointment, delivering a strong run to finish 2nd in a lifetime best of 23.17s. Team MTN’s Lucy Nwankwo also impressed, dipping below 24s for the first time in her career with 23.76s to place 3rd.

In the Junior men’s 200m, Team MTN’s Michael Aniche showcased his quarter-mile strength, producing a powerful finish to snatch victory in a PB of 21.84s ahead of teammate Emmanuel Akolo, while Mahamat Sani placed 3rd in 22.19s.

Toheebat Jimoh continued her fine form, claiming her second title and third medal of the meet by winning the women’s 200m in a PB of 24.35s. She edged teammate Miracle Uwem Donald by the narrowest of margins, with Donald clocking 24.36s, while Esther Okon finished 3rd in 24.63s.

The men’s 200m final produced one of the biggest upsets of the day, as Enoch Dabo surged to a surprise victory in 21.69s, ahead of Team MTN’s Ezekiel Asuquo (21.78s) and Showers Ushie (21.82s).

Bernice Onoriode bounced back strongly from missing the 100m final to claim the Youth Girls’ 200m title in 24.79s, finishing ahead of Team BPS’ Rebecca Enilolobo (24.91s) and Chizoba Onyemauwa (26.47s) of Team MTN. She went on to cap an excellent outing by winning the Youth Girls’ long jump as well.

Team MTN’s Fervent Edet also completed a double, taking the Youth Boys’ 200m title in a PB of 22.32s ahead of Joshua Okon and Zikirullah Ibrahim.

In the Cadet category, Praise Babatunde won the Boys’ title in 26.03s, ahead of Kyspan Bitrus (26.92s) and Hamisu Muhammad (27.27s), while Esther Adebayo claimed the Girls’ title in 28.36s, finishing ahead of Salama Hata (28.76s) and Chinaza Okoye (28.83s).

Relays

The relay events added another layer of excitement to the finale. GSS Sabon Tasha claimed the Cadet Girls’ 4x100m title in 57.81s, ahead of Model Learning Zaria (58.35s) and St. John (58.88s).

In the Youth Girls’ category, Sabon Tasha Government emerged victorious in 52.15s, finishing ahead of Foundation Science (54.68s) and Naraguta Grammar (55.95s).

The Youth Boys’ 4x100m saw GSS Sabon Tasha complete a sprint relay double, winning in 46.34s ahead of Foundation Science (46.96s) and Vision High (48.60s).

The Junior mixed 4x100m relay brought the curtain down on the competition in style, with Team MTN dominating the podium. Team MTN A claimed victory in 44.64s, followed by Team MTN B (46.17s) and Team MTN C (47.12s).