Onwuzurike aims for bigger wins in Budapest

Udodi Onwuzurike already has a Commonwealth silver medal this season, but he wants more. He is aiming for glory in the men’s 200m at the first-ever World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, Hungary, on Sunday.

The former world U-20 champion is confident. He believes he can reach the final no matter which lane he gets in this new format being used at the championships.

For the 200m, athletes chose their lanes in a draft, but Onwuzurike is not worried about racing against some of the fastest sprinters in the world.

“Just based on my own calculations, I will probably have lane three or lane eight. I prefer to go in lane eight, but let’s see what happens. Whichever lane I get, I know I’d be able to qualify. I have no idea what to expect, but I’m excited for it.”

After the draw, Onwuzurike got lane four in the first semi-final. He will compete against Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo, Kenneth Bednarek, Switzerland’s Timothé Mumenthaler, Kyree King from the USA, the Dominican Republic’s Alexander Ogando, Puerto Rico’s José Figueroa, and Courtney Lindsey from America.

In July, Onwuzurike ran his best time of the season, clocking 20.09 seconds (+1.7m/s) to win silver in the men’s 200m final at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. He finished second to South Africa’s Sinesipho Dambile, who took gold with a time of 19.96 seconds.

That silver was Nigeria’s first medal in the men’s 200m at the Commonwealth Games since Daniel Effiong won bronze in 1994.

But Onwuzurike is not just looking back at the Commonwealth Games as the peak of his season. He wants to end his campaign with an even bigger achievement.

“I hope my Commonwealth Games silver is not the highlight of my season; I’m hoping to have a better highlight out here.”

With a chance to reach the final and possibly stand on the podium, Onwuzurike aims to turn his confidence into another great performance. He wants to finish his season with more than just a Commonwealth silver to celebrate.