Against all odds, Nigeria women gave a good account of themselves at the 2024 World Athletics Relays held in Nassau, Bahamas, punching their tickets to the Paris Olympics.
Nigeria was among the 128 countries that arrived in the Caribbean Island, known as the Paradise nation, to battle for five relay tickets to the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Things didn’t work out well for Team Nigeria on day one of the event, as one of the country’s best 400 female athletes, Omolara Ogunmakinju, failed to show up in Bahamas following an injury she sustained on the eve of the competition while competing in a Conference event in the U.S. Her absence forced the Nigerian 4x400m women’s team out of the event. They will have to battle for the Olympics ticket at the African Senior Athletics Championship in Duala, Cameroun, next month.
But the ladies gave a good account of themselves in the Mixed Relay. The duo of Ella Onojuvwevwo and Esther Elo Joseph combined with Samuel Ogazi and Chidi Okezie to give Nigeria the ticket to Paris. The quartet competed in the second heat alongside the reigning World Champions, USA, Bahrain and South Africa.
Ogazi ran a tactical race despite overcoming a sluggish start to hand the baton to Onojuvwevwo, who went neck and neck with USA’s Lynna Irby Jackson throughout the course of her race. She handed the baton over to the reigning African Games 400m Champion, Okezie, who overtook the lead from USA after going past Ryan Willie in the bend with fastest overall split of 44.78s.
Esther Elo Joseph took over and held on to the lead until the first 100m, where Kendall Elis geared through to retake the lead, bringing the stick round in a Championships Record (CR) of 3:11.52, while Team Nigeria placed second in a time of 3:13.79, which automatically sealed their spot at the Olympics for the second consecutive time. South Africa was third in 3:15.95 while Bahrain Did Not Finish (DNF).
However, the best moment for Nigeria women came on day two of the competition, when they picked the ticket in 4x100m relay. In the absence of the World Record Holder in the 100m hurdles, Tobi Amusan, who could not make the trip to the Caribbean Island, not many gave the women’s 4x100m team any chance of picking the ticket.
Presented with such a chance, the quartet of Justina Eyakpobeyan, Favour Ofili, Olayinka Olajide and Tima Godbless showed impressive team chemistry, storming to victory in their heat in a time of 42.71s to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Nigeria’s 200m indoor and outdoor record holder, 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).
The Nigerians fended off the challenge posed by a strong Swiss team, who finished second in 42.75s, while China placed third in 43.13s.
It will be a straight ninth appearance for the women at the Olympics Games, having made two podium appearances at Barcelona ’92, where they got a bronze medal and the Beijing 2008, where they settled for a silver medal.
