Team Nigeria missed the experienced legs of its best female sprinter at the moment, Blessing Okagbare in the women’s 4x200m relay which held on Day 1 of the IAAF World Relays in the Bahamas.
The Moscow 2013 Bronze medallist in the 200m was named on the provisional list for the World Relays but was conspicuously missing when action commenced at the Thomas Robinson Stadium in Nassau on Saturday.
This time around, Jennifer Madu, Patience Okon-George, Dominique Duncan and Ugonna Ndu were left to their fate and the team made the best of the situation, placing 2nd behind Jamaica (1:31.29) with a Season’s Best (SB) of 1:33.78 in the heats of the 4x200m.
However, the final was an entirely different ball game, and it was quite apparent that Nigeria would be unable to defend its title from 2015 where Regina George, Okagbare, Duncan and Christy Udoh stormed to GOLD in a National Record (NR) of 1:30.52 after capitalizing on the mistakes of favourites USA and Jamaica.
This time around, the Jamaican quartet of Jura Levy, Rio 2016 Bronze medallist Shericka Jackson, Sashalee Forbes and double sprint Olympic Champion Elaine Thompson left nothing to chance, executing a perfect race to set a new Championship Record (CR) of 1:29.04.
In an interesting twist, the German team upstaged powerhouse USA to take Silver in an SB of 1:30.68, while the American team comprising of Dezerea Bryant, Tiffany Townsend, Felicia Brown and Shalonda Solomon settled for Bronze in 1:30.87.
Trinidad and Tobago was 4th in 1:32.63 as Nigeria bettered its SB from the heats to 1:33.08 to finish in 5th place.
It was a busy day for Team Nigeria as the pair of Okon-George and Ndu afterwards partnered with Margaret Bamgbose and Jennifer Edobi in the heats of the 4x400m. Despite running with a depleted team, Nigeria dominated Heat 2 to finish ahead of Great Britain, Canada, and the Bahamian team that had Olympic Champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo in action.
Okon-George set the pace for the team, handing over to Ndu, while Edobi ran the third leg as Bamgbose anchored the squad to an SB of 3:31.97. Britain was 2nd in 3:33.00 while Canada and the Bahamas failed to make it to the Final, but would compete instead in the ‘B’ final.
The overall fastest time was set by the US in Heat 1 where Joanna Atkins, Ashley Spencer, Quanera Hayes and Natasha Hastings returned a time of 3:29.27, and were followed by Australia (3:30.31) and France (3:33.41).
Poland was the team to beat in Heat 3 where they clocked an SB of 3:29.42, with Jamaica following in 3:29.42. Botswana’s quartet of Christine Botlogetswe, Lydia Jele, Galefele Moroko and former World Champion Amantle Montsho was 3rd in 3:31.61.
Nigeria’s time is ranked 6th overall, and the team is faced with the herculean task of battling for a Top 3 spot alongside the USA, Poland, Jamaica, Australia, Botswana, Great Britain and France. The West Africans have been drawn in Lane 6 ahead of Sunday’s final.
Team Nigeria is also expected to compete in the women’s 4x100m relay on Sunday.
