World Relays: Team Nigeria secures China ticket in 4x100m
Team Nigeria has secured their place in the final of the 4×100m mixed relay event at the World Championship in Gaborone, Botswana. By reaching the final on Sunday, Nigeria’s mixed
Team Nigeria has secured their place in the final of the 4×100m mixed relay event at the World Championship in Gaborone, Botswana.
By reaching the final on Sunday, Nigeria’s mixed 4x100m relay team has also qualified for the 2027 World Athletics Championships in China next year.
The quartet of Favour Ashe, Jennifer Chukwuka-Obi, Chidera Ezeakor, and Maria Thompson, stopped the clock at 40.24 seconds to finish as one of best placed and rewrite the African record book.
Canada won the semifinal with a world record time of 40.07 seconds ahead of Germany that finished in a time of 40.15 seconds, while the Netherlands completed the top three in 40.20 seconds.
Team Nigeria dominated by home based missed out of four other relays qualification for the World Championship next year.
It’s imperative to state that three key members of Team Nigeria could not make the trip to Gaborone.
They are Rosemary Chukwuma and Blessings Ogundiran and Anita Enaruna who could have added some fillips to 4×100m womem, women's 4×400m and the 4×400m which the team failed to secure a 2027 World Championship tickets.
However, Team Nigeria will be in action for last chance qualifier Sunday morning in the 4×100m men, 4×400m men and 4×400m mixed relay while Team Nigeria 4×100m mixed relay.
Nigeria missed out on qualification for the final of the mixed 4×400 metres after finishing third in their heat at the 2026 World Athletics Relays on Saturday.
Competing in the second event of the championships at the Botswana National Stadium, the Nigerian quartet of Samson Nathaniel, Taiwo Kudoro, Chidi Okezie and Patience Okon-George clocked a season’s best of 3:13.12 to place third in Heat 2.
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Jamaica won the race in 3:11.68, while Poland secured the second automatic qualifying spot with 3:13.00, leaving Nigeria just outside the top two positions required for direct progression.
Only the first two teams in each heat, along with the next two fastest times overall, advanced to the final and secured early qualification for the World Championships, with Nigeria’s effort falling narrowly short of those criteria.
In a tightly contested race, Nigeria remained in contention heading into the final leg, where Okon-George produced a determined anchor run, battling Poland’s Natalia Bukowiecka down the home straight before settling for third place.
Japan followed in fourth with 3:13.61, while Canada finished fifth in 3:14.93, underscoring the competitiveness of the event.
