Nigeria’s Udodi Onwuzurike ran 20.27s to qualify for the 200m semi-finals at Tokyo 2025.
He says he’s pleased with his race and plans to run faster in the next round.
Nigeria’s Udodi Chudi Onwuzurike kept his medal hopes alive at the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships, advancing to the semi-finals of the men’s 200m after a strong performance in Heat 3.
Onwuzurike clocked 20.27s to finish second, securing automatic qualification behind Kenneth Bednarek of the USA, who won the heat in 19.98s. South Africa’s Sinesipho Dambile also advanced at the same time as Onwuzurike.
Other performances in Heat 3
- William Reais (Switzerland): 20.38s (season-best)
- Jerome Blake (Canada): 20.43s
- Soshi Mizukubo (Japan): 20.51s (season-best)
Runners, including Abdulaziz Abdui Atafi (KSA), Seunghwan Ko (KOR), and Animesh Kujur (IND), will have to wait to see if they progress based on time.
The qualification format allows the top three in each heat to advance automatically, joined by the six fastest non-automatic qualifiers across all heats.
Speaking after his race, Onwuzurike expressed satisfaction with his performance but vowed to go faster in the semi-finals.
“I’m really pleased with my performance. I’m happy with how it went, and hopefully I can run an even better time in the semi-finals,” he said.
The Nigerian sprinter will now aim to step up his performance in what promises to be an intense semi-final round as he targets a place in the 200m final.
