NIGERIA’s relays teams’ bids to qualify for the World Athletics Championships were not all successful today at the trials for the competition and the Commonwealth Games in Benin City, Edo State.
The trials ended today, with several athletes sealing their spots in the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, United States of America from July 15 to July 24 and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, United Kingdom from July 28 to August 8.
The Nigerian women’s 4x100m quartet of Tima Godbless, Grace Nwokocha, Tobi Amusan and Rosemary Chukwuma ran a season’s best time of 43.25 seconds to win the Invitational Relays and strength their hold on the 16th position in the world ranking, which is the last spot for the World Championships.
However, the men’s 4x100m quartet of Favour Ashe, Godson Brume, Alaba Akintola and Udodi Onwuzurike did not finish their race due to a poor baton exchange between the third and fourth leg runners.
In the men’s 4x400m, Sikiru Adeyemi, Samson Nathaniel, Ezekiel Nathaniel and Johnson Nnamani ran a time of 3:03.93, which was not fast enough to qualify them for the World Championships.
Also in the women’s 4x400m relays, Patience Okon anchored Team Nigeria A, comprising of Queen Usunobun, Imaobong Uko and Ella Onojuvwevwo to a season’s best time of 3:30.36.
Their time puts them 19th on the world qualifying list, three spots outside the top 16 available places.
In the men’s high jump final, former big Brother Nigeria star and 2022 African Championships silver medallist Mike Edwards successfully defended his national title, scaling a season’s best height of 2.20m.
National record holder in the men’s javelin Nnamdi Chinecherem also successfully defended his title with a throw of 78.07m.
Although he missed the automatic qualifying standard of 85m for the World Athletics Championships, his personal best of 81.22m could still win him a spot.
