THE Nigerian team to the World Athletics U-20 Championships ended the competition in style on Sunday, adding more medals to their haul.
After winning gold in the women’s 4x400m and bronze in the women’s 4x100m on Sunday, Nigeria finished with four gold and three bronze medals to place third in the medals table behind Kenya and Finland.
Nigeria’s women’s 4x400m quartet of Deborah Oke, Nse Imaobong Uko, Ella Onojuvwevwo and Favour Ofili set a world U-20 lead of 3 minutes, 31.46 seconds to win gold, beating Jamaica (3:36.57) and Italy (3:37.18) to second and third places respectively.
In the women’s 4x100m, Nigeria’s quartet of Praise Ofoku, Ofili, Anita Taviore and Tima Godbless won bronze in a time of 43.90s, behind Jamaica who set a world U-20 record of 42.94s to win gold and
Namibia who claimed silver in a 43.76s national U-20 record.
Nigeria lost a chance to add another medal in the men’s 4x100m due to a faulty baton exchange between Udodi Onwuzuruike and Godson Oghenebrume.
South Africa ran a world U-20 record of 38.51s to win gold, while Jamaica grabbed silver in a continental record time of 38.61s and Poland claimed bronze in a European U-20 record of 38.90s.
Nigeria narrowly missed out on a medal in the men’s 4x400m relay as the quartet of Johnson Nnamani, Dubem Amene, Ezekiel Nathaniel and Bamidele Ajayi finished fourth in 3:07.19.
Botswana set a world leading U-20 time of 3:05.22 to win gold as Jamaica (3:05.76) and Kenya (3:05.94) bagged silver and bronze respectively.
