Golden Moments in Sports: Divine Oduduru’s Run Against Usain Bolt At Rio 2016

For many, racing and trying to win against a renowned name like Usain Bolt, is a lost cause.

The athlete is by far the most decorated sprinter of all time, and on the track, he is regarded as the G.O.A.T.

However, Divine Oduduru did not see a god when he stepped onto the track to race against Bolt in Heat 9 of the men’s 200m at the 2016 Rio Olympics, instead the Nigerian saw a challenge he needed to beat and a chance to put his name in the record books for all time.

Although Oduduru did not win the race, he proved himself to the world when he came only six seconds shy of Bolt’s finish time to claim the silver medal.

The Nigerian did not have the best start after the gun, but he kept his composure, running in lane 8. He attacked the curve swiftly and flawlessly kept his pace down straight, passing at least four other athletes who had better track records.

For a junior runner, the Nigerian’s performance caught the attention of the Olympic world as Oduduru followed Bolt closely until the finish line.

The national 200m champion outclassed more high placed athletes than himself, such as Sudan’s Ahmed Ali and Japan’s Kei Takase with SB’s of 20.16s and 20.31s, to take the monumental win.

Oduduru’s performance at Rio goes without saying as the Nigerian was the only male sprinter (100m, 200m or 400m) representing the country who made it through to the semifinals across the competition.

Featured image source: Brila

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achem

Achem Samuel is a writer and a musician, he is passionate about God and also an ardent fan of tech, sports and music.

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