Nigeria’s women’s 4×400 metres relay team has booked a spot at the upcoming World Athletics Relays after an outstanding performance at the MTN Champs track and field competition in Calabar, Cross River State.
The quartet, featuring seasoned sprinter Patience Okon-George alongside rising stars Anita Enaruna, Treasure Okereke, and Jacinta Lawrence, crossed the finish line in 3 minutes 31.14 seconds to claim victory in the women’s 4x400m relay on Thursday.
Their impressive time propelled Nigeria to 21st place in the global rankings, narrowly surpassing Mexico and securing one of the coveted qualifying slots for the prestigious relay championship.
The 2026 edition of the World Athletics Relays promises to be historic, as it will be hosted in Africa for the first time, with Botswana set to welcome the world’s top sprint teams this May.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian men’s 4×400 metres relay team came agonizingly close but fell short of qualification.
The squad of Emmanuel Ojeli, Gafar Badmus, Victor Sampson, and Samson Nathaniel recorded a time of 3 minutes 04.59 seconds, just shy of the 3 minutes 03.46 required to advance to the championship.
Despite the men’s team missing out, the success of the women’s team has given Nigerian athletics a major boost.
With renewed confidence, Okon-George, Enaruna, Okereke, and Lawrence will now focus on preparing to challenge the world’s elite relay squads in May.
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