Ahead of the finals of the Fitchild Showdown Championship 2026 set for Saturday, May 23, at Chrisland College, several emerging young athletes from Altivelis Track Club have declared their readiness to chase sprint titles in what is shaping up to be a fiercely competitive collegiate-style athletics showcase.
The athletes, coached by Femi Daramola, impressed during the heats of the 100m and 200m events, with standout performances from Adediran Miracle, Hassan Esther, Brown Oluwademilade, Vanessa Emmanuel and Odebayo.
Competing in the Under-13 boys’ category, Adediran Miracle booked his place in the 100m final after overcoming recent challenges that kept him away from training for nearly three weeks.
“I feel like it is God’s work because for the past three weeks I’ve not been training because I was not feeling fine. I just came back, tried my best and did what I could remember from training,” Miracle said.
The young sprinter added that endurance and discipline helped him pull through during the heats.
“It was about my endurance and working on what I’ve been taught,” he added.
In the Under-10 girls’ division, Hassan Esther expressed confidence ahead of the final after another strong qualifying performance. The Primary Five pupil revealed that athletics has been part of her life since the age of two.
“I train very hard and I want to make my mum proud. I feel very happy to qualify for the final and I believe I will win,” Esther said.
Brown Oluwademilade also emerged as one of the top performers in the Under-13 category after finishing first in his heat with a time of 12.8 seconds. The sprinter credited a calmer approach for his improved performance.
“When I run, I used to struggle, but this time I made sure I was more relaxed,” Oluwademilade stated.
She noted that weeks of preparation had boosted his confidence ahead of the finals.
“I have been training for about two to three weeks for this competition. Ahead of the finals, I will train more so I can keep up with the performance,” she said.
Odebayo, who also secured qualification after finishing first in his event, said she had spent over a month preparing for the competition and hopes to improve further in the final.
“I pray I win this time,” she said.
In the Under-14 category, Vanessa Emmanuel delivered one of the standout performances of the heats with a commanding first-place finish. The student-athlete attributed her victory to improved acceleration and sprint mechanics.
“I accelerated and used my form and drive,” Vanessa explained.
The Faith Academy student also revealed she had trained consistently for one month leading into the championship.
“I think this time I will win by the grace of God,” she added.