Team Nigeria delivered a mixed but encouraging performance at the World Relay Championships in Gaborone, Botswana, securing two additional qualification spots for the upcoming global championships in Beijing.
The latest successes added to the earlier qualification of Nigeria’s 4x100m mixed relay team, which booked its place on the opening day of the competition.
However, it was not an entirely smooth outing, as the women’s 4x400m team failed to start their race and were recorded as Did Not Start (DNS).
In the 4x400m mixed relay repechage, the quartet of Samson Nathaniel, Taiwo Kudoro, Chidi Okezie and Patience Okon-George produced a strong performance, finishing second in Heat Two with a season’s best time of 3:12.88.
Their effort was enough to secure one of the available qualification spots, with South Africa taking the other after winning the heat in 3:12.77.
Nigeria’s women’s 4x100m team overcame an earlier baton error to deliver a solid comeback performance.
The team of Rosemary Nwankwo, Jennifer Chukwuka, Maria Thompson-Omokwe and Miracle Ezechukwu finished second in their heat, clocking 42.94 seconds.
They came just behind France, who won the race in 42.92 seconds, but still did enough to secure qualification.
Speaking after the race, Thompson-Omokwe expressed pride in the team’s achievement, especially given the absence of foreign-based athletes.
“I’m super excited with the effort we put in; people were expecting the 10 runners and the U.S.-based athletes, but we showed that home-based athletes can also put up a good performance if given the opportunity and support.
“We are going to go back home now and correct what we didn’t do, so they should get ready,” she said.
Additional qualification and prize
Nigeria’s 4x100m mixed relay team comprising Favour Ashe, Jennifer Chukwuka Obi, Chidera Ezeakor and Maria Thompson-Omokwe also secured a place at the inaugural World Ultimate Championships scheduled to hold in Budapest.
The team finished sixth in the final, in a race won by Jamaica in a world record time of 39.62 seconds. Nigeria’s athletes will also receive a prize of $6,000.
Not all teams advanced, however. The men’s 4x100m quartet of Favour Ashe, James Taiwo, Tejiri Godwin and Chidera Ezeakor placed third in their repechage heat, with inconsistent baton exchanges affecting their chances.
Similarly, the men’s 4x400m team narrowly missed qualification, finishing third with a time of 3:01.43 despite a strong anchor leg. Senegal won the heat in 3:01.28.
The women’s 4x400m team was unable to compete due to an incomplete lineup and was marked as DNS.
Despite the setbacks, Team Nigeria’s overall outing reflects growing depth, particularly among home-based athletes, as they prepare for the global stage.
