Nigerian men’s 4x400m team run fastest time in 20 years to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics

The Nigerian men’s 4x400m quartet of Dubem Nwachukwu, Dubem Amene, Sikiru Adeyemi and Chidi Okezie put up a good performance at the 2024 World Relays, clocking a time of 3:01.70 to secure qualification for the Olympic Games.

Drawn against sprint and relay specialists, Jamaica and Belgium, Nigeria needed a top-2 finish to qualify for the Olympics.

Ogazi ran a tactical race despite overcoming a sluggish start to hand the baton in 2nd place to Onojuvwevwo who went close with USA’s Lynna Irby Jackson throughout the course of her race, then over to the reigning African Games 400m Champion, Okezie who overtook the lead from USA after going past Ryan Willie in the bend with fastest overall split of 44.78s.

Joseph held on to the lead achieved by her teammate up until the first 100m where Kendall Elis geared through to retake the lead, bringing the stick round in a Championships Record (CR) of 3:11.52 while Team Nigeria placed 2nd with a time of 3:13.79, which automatically sealed their spot at the Olympics for the second consecutive time. South Africa was 3rd in 3:15.95 while Bahrain Did Not Finish(DNF)

With their time of 3:01.70, they ran the fastest time by a Nigerian male 4x400m team since the Bronze-winning team of James Godday, Musa Audu, Saul Weigopwa and Enefiok Udo-Obong ran 3:00.90 at the Athens 2004 Olympics.