After winning two tickets on Day One of the 2024 World Athletics Relays in the Bahamas, Nigerian athletes ensured the job was completed on Sunday night, picking two more tickets for women’s and men’s 4x100m Relay.
Both teams had missed the tickets on Saturday night.
The victory ensured the men’s team returned to the Olympics after a 16-year absence, just as the women will make a ninth straight appearance.
First to secure a passage to Paris was the women’s 4x100m team led by Nigeria’s 200m indoor and outdoor record holder, Favour Ofili.
In the absence of the World Record holder in the 100m hurdles, Tobi Amusan, Ofili ran an incredible second leg to get Nigeria into a great position with reigning National Sports Festival double sprint champion, Tima Godbless, anchoring home in first position (42.71) ahead of Switzerland who picked the second automatic ticket in the third qualifying heat.
The success of the ladies challenged the men.
Running without two of the nation’s best sprinters at the moment, Ashe Favour and Godson Brume, U.S-based speed star Udodi Onwuzurike, Ekanem Emmanuel, Alaba Akintola and Karlington Anunagba, who replaced Seye Ogunlewe, ensured they did not fall twice as they coasted home in second place (38.57) behind Ghana (38.29) to pick the second automatic ticket to Paris.
While for the women, it will be their ninth straight appearance at the Games marked by two podium appearances in 1992 (bronze) and 2008 (silver), it is a return to the big stage for the men since 2008 in Beijing, where the quartet of Onyeabor Ngwogu, Obinna Metu, Chinedu Oriala and Uchenna Emedolu failed to finish in the very first heat of the competition.
Nigeria had picked two tickets on Saturday Day one of the World Relays in the men’s 4x400m and the mixed relay, with Chidi Okezie the hero.
President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Chief Tonobok Okowa was excited with the team’s performance.
“I am so glad our athletes got the four tickets in the Bahamas, and the AFN will intensify efforts in ensuring we get the fifth ticket (the women’s 4x400m) before the Olympics. I salute the athletes, the coaches, the sports ministry and all those who made this victory possible,” Okowa stated.
