Following in the footsteps of the 4x400m mixed relay team, Nigeria’s men’s 4x400m relay team secured automatic qualification to this summer’s Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The quartet of Dubem Nwachukwu, Dubem Amene, Sikiru Adeyemi, and Chidi Okezie were incredible at the World Athletics Relays Championships in Nassau, Bahamas, on Saturday, finishing second to ensure Nigeria’s participation at the Games.
What a night for Nigeria 🇳🇬
Two teams qualify for the @Paris2024 and that’s just pure bliss.
✅ Mixed 4 by 400m
✅ 4 by 400M MenIndeed, Naija 🇳🇬 No Dey carry Last, ever!
Camera 📸 @MakingOfChamps pic.twitter.com/FFGSYa7N3N
— Lynne Wachira (@WachiraLynne) May 5, 2024
Team Nigeria were up against Jamaica and Belgium, amongst others, knowing that a top-two finish would get them a ticket to Paris 2024, and they did just that, running a season’s best time of 3:01.70 to finish behind only the Belgians.
Nwachukwu started the race off well for Nigeria, ending in second place before passing the baton to Amene in the second leg.
Amene was quick and steady, holding on to his position before passing the baton to Adeyemi, who, despite running brilliantly, couldn’t hold on to the second position before passing the baton to the anchor leg, as Nigeria were in danger of missing out on automatic qualification.
Okezie, who is the reigning 400m African Games champion, had earlier helped the 4x400m mixed relay team book a place in the Olympics. He didn’t seem out of energy as he once again ran the team’s fastest split of 44.46s to bypass Jamaica’s Demish Gaye and ensure Nigeria finished second.
The race even got better as their time of 3:01.70 marked Nigeria’s fastest time in the 4x400m relay team for two decades, since the quartet of James Godday, Musa Audu, Saul Weigopwa, and Enefiok Udo-Obong, who won bronze at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004, ran a time of 3:00.90.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian 4x100m men and women relay failed to secure an automatic berth to the Paris Olympic Games as they finished outside the top-two spots.
In the women’s 4x100m, Tinna Eyakpobeyan, Favor Ofili, Olayinka Olajide, and Tima Godbless settled for the third position in 43.15s, finishing behind the USA (42.21s) and France (43.09s), respectively.
The quartet of Udodi Onwuzurike, Consider Ekanem, Alaba Akintola, and Seye Ogunlewe finished fourth, having clocked a time of 38.47s, as they were behind France, Great Britain, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Despite the two teams missing out, they are both provided with another shot at automatic qualification in the repechage on Day 2, where they have to get the top two spots to complete the final 14 countries.
