Joy Udo-Gabriel

  • Name: Joy Udo-Gabriel
  • Date Of Birth: 2nd June, 1999
  • State of Origin: Abia
  • Secondary School: Stars International College, Ikorodu
  • Current University: University of Lagos
  • Course: Education & Christian Religious Studies
  • Coached By: Deji Aliu
  • Personal Bests: 100m (11.42s), 200m (23.92s)
  • Sponsors: ARCO Group
  • IAAF Profile: Joy Udo-Gabriel

Born on 2 June 1999, Joy Udo-Gabriel has taken the track by storm since her emergence as the fastest schoolgirl in Lagos State in 2015 at the tender age of 16! She was discovered at the Benin Auditions of the Top Sprinter Reality Show produced by Making of Champions (MoC), where she famously said “The race is for the legs and the law is for the brain!” when asked how she intended to combine her Education and Athletics!

Udo-Gabriel’s first competition as an MoC athlete was the 2016 National Junior Champs where she won her heat and she also competed at her first National Senior Trials that year. Her impressive form saw her become a beneficiary of MoC’s Student-Athlete Scholarship under the sponsorship of by Oil & Gas Company, ARCO Group. In 2017, she went on to win Silver in the 100m/200m at the AFN/MoC National U-20 Champs later that month.

2018 proved to be a turning point in Udo-Gabriel’s career as she represented Nigeria for the first time at the Commonwealth Games in Australia, setting a Personal Best (PB) of 11.42s in the 100m to make the Semi-Finals on her Nigeria debut, before running a fantastic lead leg to win 4x100m Bronze with a time of 42.75s alongside Blessing Okagbare, Tobi Amusan and Rosemary Chukwuma – that was her very first international medal for Nigeria.

Udo-Gabriel amassed seven more international medals for Nigeria in 2018 in what was a breakout year for her. She won the 100m and 200m sprint double and 4x100m Silver at the 2018 ECOWAS (West African) U-20 Champs in Cape Coast where she emerged the overall best female athlete.

The young star won 100m Bronze and 4x100m GOLD at her maiden African Senior Championships in Asaba in 2018. Not done with her international exploits, Udo-Gabriel emerged the fastest girl at the 2018 West Africa University Games (WAUG) in Port Harcourt, where she also won 4x100m Silver while representing the University of Lagos!

Udo-Gabriel also claimed 100m Bronze at her first National Sports Festival (NSF) in Abuja in 2018, capping off the year winning Discovery of the Year at the Nigerian Sports Awards! She went on to star for Nigeria at the 2019 World Relays in Japan before claiming 4x100m GOLD at the 2019 African Games in Rabat, where she was also a 100m Finalist. She also made her World Championships debut at Doha 2019 in the 4x100m, capping off her meteoric rise to regular member of Nigeria’s Senior Team, achieving all this at just 20 years of age!

In 2019, Udo-Gabriel won 16 out of 22 races in the 100m and 200m globally, including representing MoC Track Club at Meets in Southern Africa (Botswana) and Europe (Italy). Udo-Gabriel is looking forward to qualifying for and representing Nigeria at the Olympics in 2021!

Note: 2 decimal places signify Electronic timing, 1 decimal place signifies Hand-timing

100 metres
Year Date Performance Position Stage Competition Location
2017 Jul 13th 11.80s 5th Final National Championships Abuja
Jul 13th 11.8s 2nd Heats National Championships Abuja
Jun 17th 11.75s 2nd Final AFN/MoC National U20 & U18 Championships Abuja
Jun 3rd 11.73s 2nd Final AFN/Dynamic Sporting Solutions Meet Abuja
Jun 3rd 11.65s 1st Heats AFN/Dynamic Sporting Solutions Meet Abuja
2016 Sept 29th 12.14s 1st Final Top Sprinter Athletics Championships Lagos
Sept 29th 12.18s 1st Heats Top Sprinter Athletics Championships Lagos
Sept 1st 12.17s 3rd Final Eko Athletics Grand Prix Lagos
Jul 10th 11.88s 7th Heats National Senior Championships Sapele
Jun 7th 11.87s 1st B Final AFN Golden League Akure
2015 Oct 1st 12.95s 4th Final Top Sprinter Lagos Finals Lagos
Sept 26th 12.5s 1st Final Top Sprinter Benin Auditions Benin
Feb 12.91s 1st Final Lagos School Sports Festival (Ibile) Games Lagos
2014 Nov 2nd Final National School Sports Festival Benue

200 metres
Year Date Performance Position Stage Competition Location
2017 Dec 1st 24.3s 3rd Heats AFN Golden League Kaduna
Jun 17th 24.66s 2nd Final AFN/MoC National U20 & U18 Championships Abuja
Jun 3rd 24.26s 2nd Heats AFN/Dynamic Sporting Solutions Meet Abuja
2016 Sept 30th 25.19s 1st Final Top Sprinter Athletics Championships Lagos
Sept 30th 25.21s 1st Heats Top Sprinter Athletics Championships Lagos
May 25th 25.71s 1st Heats National Juniors (D.K. Olukoya Championships) Lagos

4X100 metres
Year Date Performance Position Stage Competition Location
2017 Dec 2nd 48.05s 2nd Final AFN Golden League Kaduna
Nov 25th 49.66s 4th Final AFN All-Comers Abuja
Jul 15th 46.74s 4th Final National Championships Abuja
2016 Oct 1st 46.57s 1st Final Top Sprinter/ Lagos Relays Athletics Championships Lagos
2014 Nov 1st Final National School Sports Festival Benue

    2018

  • Commonwealth Games 4x100m Bronze Medallist
  • African Senior 100m Bronze Medallist & 4x100m Champion
  • West African (ECOWAS) U-20 100m/200m Champion & 4x100m Silver Medallist
  • West African University Games (WAUG) 100m Champion & 4x100m Silver Medallist
  • National Sports Festival 100m Bronze Medallist
  • National U-20 100m Champion & 200m Silver Medallist
  • Nigeria Sports Awards Discovery of the Year 2018

    • 2017

  • AFN/MoC National Junior (U20) 100m & 200m Silver Medallist

    • 2016

  • Top Sprinter/ Lagos Relays Women’s 4x100m Champion
  • Top Sprinter Junior 100 and 200m Champion
  • Eko Athletics Grand Prix 100m Bronze Medallist
  • AFN Golden League B Final 100m Winner

    • 2015

  • Top Sprinter Benin Auditions 100m Winner
  • Lagos State Schools Sports Festival 100m Champion

    • 2014

  • National Schools Sports Festival 100m Silver Medallist
  • National Schools Sports Festival 4x100m Champion

2018 National Sports Festival

Joy Udo-Gabriel wins womens’ 100m Heat 2 at National Sports Festival Abuja

Joy Udo-Gabriel wins Heat 1 of the women’s 100m semis at the 19th National Sports Festival

Bukola Bolufawi wins the women’s 100m final at the 19th National Sports Festival

Joy Udo-Gabriel is pleased with her 100m Bronze medal at the 2018 NSF

2018 West Africa University Games

Joy Udo-Gabriel wins women’s 100m Heat 1 at 14th West African University Games Port Harcourt 2018

Joy Udo-Gabriel hopes to get everything right to win the 100m final at #WAUG2018

Joy Udo-Gabriel wins women’s 100m final at 14th West African University Games Port Harcourt 2018

Joy Udo-Gabriel talks about winning the WAUG 100m title, now focused on winning the NUGA title

2018 African Championships

Joy Udo-Gabriel wins women’s 100m Heat 3 2018 African Athletics Championships Asaba

Joy Udo-Gabriel wins women’s 100 semis 2 at the 2018 African Athletics Championships Asaba

Marie Josee Talou wins women’s 100m final at the 2018 African Athletics Championships Asaba

Joy Udo-Gabriel after the winning Bronze medal in the Women’s 100m

Team Nigeria’s 4x100m women talk about their GOLD-winning feat in Asaba

2018 ECOWAS U-20 Championships

Joy Udo-Gabriel wins women’s 100m title at ECOWAS U20 Athletics Championships

Joy Udo-Gabriel speaking after winning the women’s 100m ECOWAS title

Joy Udo-Gabriel wins women’s 200m ECOWAS title

Joy Udo-Gabriel after winning double titles at the ECOWAS U20 Championships

2018 National U-20 Championships

Joy Udo-Gabriel wins heat 4 of women’s 100m at National U20 Trials Ozoro

Joy Udo Gabriel wins heat 1 of 100m semis at National U20 Trials Ozoro

Marvelous Asemota wins women’s 200m at National U20 Trials Ozoro

2018 MoC Grand Prix

Joy Udo-Gabriel wins Heat 4 of women’s 100m at 1st MoC Grand Prix & Relays 2018

Mercy Ntia Obong wins 100m Women’s Final at 1st MoC Grand Prix & Relays 2018

Joy Udo-Gabriel wins Heat 3 of women’s 200m at 1st MoC Grand Prix & Relays 2018

Yinka Ajayi wins women’s 200m final at 1st MoC Grand Prix & Relays 2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ilgJMJ7TVg

Joy’s Interview

2018 Commonwealth Games Trials

Agnes Osazuwa wins women’s 100m Heat 1 at the AFN Commonwealth Games Trials

Rosemary Chukwuma wins Heat 2 of women’s 100m semis at the AFN Commonwealth Games Trials

Isoken Igbinosun wins 100m title the AFN Commonwealth Games Trials

Making of Champions 4x100m women’s relay team speak after finishing 3rd at the Commonwealth Trials

2018 Port Harcourt Golden League

Joy Udo-Gabriel wins Heat 4 of women’s 100m at the Port Harcourt Golden League

Mercy Ntia Nbong wins Women’s 100m Final A at the Port Harcourt Golden League

Joy Udo-Gabriel finishes 2nd in the women’s 100m A Final at the Port Harcourt Golden League

2017 AFN GOLDEN LEAGUE KADUNA

MoC’s Joy Udo Gabriel after placing 3rd in the Women’s 200 heat 2 at the AFN Golden League Kaduna

Team MoC 4x100m Women Speaks after the race at the AFN Golden League Kaduna

Isoken Igbinosun wins Women’s 200m heat 2 at the AFN Golden League Kaduna

2017 AFN All Comers Abuja

4x100m Women’s relay at All Comers Abuja

2017 National Championships

Team Customs wins Women’s 4x100m at 2017 National Trials

Precious Okoronkwo wins Heat 2 of the Women’s 100m at 2017 National Trials Nigeria

Aniekeme Alphonsus wins 100m Women’s Final at 2017 National Trials

2017 AFN/MoC National U20 & U18 Championships

Joy Udo-Gabriel narrowly misses 100m Junior title at the AFN/MoC National U18 & U20 Trials

Joy Udo-Gabriel wins Silver in the 200m Junior category at the AFN/MoC National U18 & U20 Trials

Aniekeme wins 200m Junior Girls Final at AFN/MoC National U20 & U18 Championships

Aniekeme Alphonsus wins the 100m Junior Girls Final at AFN/MoC National U20 Trials

2017 AFN/Dynamic Sporting Solutions Meet

Joy Udo-Gabriel’s interview after winning her 100m heat with a PB at the 2017 AFN Meet in Abuja

Igbinosun Isoken wins Women’s 200m Heat 3 at AFN/Dynamic Sporting Solutions Meet

MoC’s Udo-Gabriel places 2nd in 100m Final behind Isoken Igbinosun at the 2017 AFN Meet in Abuja!

MoC Athlete Joy Udo-Gabriel storms to a 100m PB of 11.65s at AFN/Dynamic Solutions Meet

2016 National Senior Championships

Udo Gabriel places 7th in Women’s 100m Heat 3 at Nigeria Olympic Trials

Udo Gabriel speaking after her debut 100m heats at Nigerian Olympic Trials

Gloria Asumnu wins Women’s 100m Heat 3 at Nigeria Olympic Trials