The men’s 4x100m final provided one of the major highlights of Day 1 of the ongoing Nigerian Commonwealth Games and World Championships Trials holding in Benin-City, Edo State.
The quartet of Favour Ashe, Godson Brume, Alaba Akintola and reigning World U20 champion, Udodi Onwuzurike stormed to a Season’s Best of 38.35s to secure a slot at next month’s World Championships holding in Oregon, causing an eruption of jubilation at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium. Team Ghana was 2nd with a time of 39.60s while Nigeria Police placed 3rd in 40.52s.
The Nigerian quartet’s time has moved them one step up from 17th to 16th, the final qualifying position for the relays. Nigeria has now moved above South Africa who were occupying that position before the race in Benin with the 38.51s that her U20 team ran at the World U20 Athletics Championships in Nairobi last year. Nigerians will now be hoping the team is not overtaken before the close of the qualification window on Sunday, June 26th, 2022.
Team Nigeria will also be hoping they return to the podium at the World Athletics Championships 25 years after the quartet of Osmond Ezinwa, Olapade Adeniken, Francis Obikwelu and Davidson Ezinwa ran 37.94s in the semifinals before storming to a silver medal finish (38.04) behind Canada who ran a world leading 37.86 to win the gold medal
Meanwhile, Rosemary Chukwuma, Grace Nwokocha, Tobi Amusan and Tima Godbless dominated the women’s final after crossing the line in 43.44s, holding off Edo State who followed in 46.23s as Ghana settled for 3rd with a time of 46.58s.
