Nigeria’s mixed 4×100 metres relay team delivered a historic performance on Saturday after setting a new African record at the World Athletics Relays in Gaborone, Botswana.
The quartet of Favour Ashe, Jennifer Obi, Chidera Ezeakor and Maria Omokwe raced to an impressive time of 40.24 seconds during one of the heats, breaking the previous continental record and marking a major milestone for Nigerian athletics.
Despite finishing fourth in the race, Team Nigeria secured one of the two non-automatic qualification slots to advance to the final of the event.
The result also confirmed Nigeria’s qualification for the mixed 4x100m relay event at the 2027 World Athletics Championships scheduled to hold in Beijing, China.
Nigeria will now compete in the final on Sunday, with the race set for 4:05 p.m. Nigerian time.
While the mixed relay team provided a major highlight for the country, Nigeria struggled in other events at the competition.
The men’s 4x100m team finished fifth in their heat and failed to progress, while the women’s team saw their hopes dashed after a costly baton exchange error forced them out of contention.
The women’s squad was also affected by the late withdrawal of key athletes, including Rosemary Chukwuma, Blessing Ogundiran and Anita Enaruna.
In the 4x400m events, Nigeria placed third in the mixed relay, while both the men’s and women’s teams finished sixth in their respective heats.
The country, however, still has another chance to secure additional qualification spots for the World Championships as its teams are expected to compete in Sunday’s repechage races.
Get social! Follow us for more news
