Give us an O, for Okerenyang. GO!

Now give us a G. O. L. D. for the Australian 100 metres champion.

Godfrey Okerenyang broke through for his first national gold medal in an individual event when he took out the boys under 16 sprint title at the Australian All Schools athletics championships in Adelaide. 

It was sweet redemption, after a false start saw him disqualified from the 100m final last year in Canberra.

“It’s good, I went across the line smiling,” Okerenyang said. “I run better when I’m relaxed and don’t think about it too much so that’s what I did.”

The 15-year-old from the Kooringal-Wagga Athletics Club won in 11.16 seconds, the same time he’d run for the heat.

He was the fastest qualifier for the final and a showdown with his regular rival, Felix Long, loomed. But in an ironic twist, the defending champ was the one to false start this year. 

”That’s what I did last year so I was, like, sad for him,” Okerenyang said. “But still...” 

Okerenyang finished third in the 200m final (running 22.49s) and took home more medals in the relay events.

He piloted the NSW 4x100m relay team to gold and then shared in a bronze in the Swedish relay, where he ran the 100m leg and teammates completed the 200m, 300m and 400m legs. 

It hadn’t been a perfect preparation. The Riverina Anglican College student didn’t qualify in the long jump – the pick of his events – and has dropped the triple jump from his program.

Okerenyang’s training was hampered by worries that a hip flexor injury was returning and then he hurt a foot just days before leaving when he accidentally kicked a wall. 

“I didn’t know how I was going to go or if I was going to be able to run… but it didn’t hurt as much when I was running, just when I slowed down,” he said.

The All Schools were held alongside the Pacific School Games in Adelaide. Okerenyang has his sights set on a bigger event next year in Argentina. 

“I want to get Youth-qualified for long jump or the 100,” Okerenyang said. “The Youth Olympics is in October next year. We have (Australian) Juniors in March and we have to get the qualifier of 7.28m for long jump and 10.69 for 100.”

His personal best in the 100m is 10.91 seconds. 

After tasting a national title, Okerenyang said he’ll spend the summer holidays on the track and in the gym.