Get Guardian on GoogleNigerian sprinter, Blessing Ogundiran, at the weekend, delivered a historic performance at the South Florida Invitational, blazing to a 10.98s finish in the women’s 100m.
The Warner University freshman not only clinched victory but also obliterated her own NAIA record of 11.21s, setting a new benchmark in collegiate athletics.
Her electrifying run places her joint-top in the global rankings for the 2026 season, making her one of only two women worldwide to dip under the 11-second barrier this year, alongside Jamaica’s Shanoya Mikalia Douglas.
Ogundiran’s feat also cements her status as the ninth Nigerian woman ever to break the 11-second mark.
Ogundiran described her incredible run as “a dream realised, a prayer answered, and a testimony of God’s faithfulness.”
In a heartfelt Facebook post after the race, she wrote: “Words fail me right now… Today, I just ran a world-leading time of 10.98 seconds, and my heart is overflowing with gratitude and tears of joy. This is not just a number on the clock, it’s a dream realised, a prayer answered, and a testimony of God’s faithfulness in my life.”
