Nigeria’s campaign in the women’s 4×100 metres at the World Athletics Relays 2026 suffered a major setback after a failed baton exce led to disqualification during the heats on Saturday.
The Nigerian team made up of Chigozie Nwankwo, Jennifer Chukwuka, Maria Omokwe and Miracle Ezechukwu had shown strong form in the early stages of the race. However, their hopes were dashed during the final exce between Omokwe and Ezechukwu, where a coordination error prevented a successful handover.
The mistake resulted in disqualification under rule TR24.7, eliminating Nigeria from contention in a heat that saw multiple teams struggle with baton exces.
Jamaica dominated the race with an impressive time of 41.96 seconds to secure automatic qualification, while Germany followed in 42.44 seconds. Portugal finished third with a national record of 43.11 seconds, while Botswana and Hungary completed the list of successful finishers.
Other teams, including Belgium and France, were also disqualified, highlighting the technical difficulty of relay events where precision in baton exce is critical.
This latest setback continues a worrying trend for Nigeria’s women’s relay team, who previously encountered similar issues during national trials in Gaborone, affecting their qualification efforts.
Despite the disappointment, Nigeria still has a lifeline through the repechage round scheduled for Sunday. The team must deliver a strong performance to secure qualification for the 2027 World Championships in Beijing.
With top teams like Jamaica, Spain, Canada and Germany already advancing, Nigeria faces a crucial test as they aim to recover and reelish themselves among the world’s elite sprint relay teams.
Leave a comment