The Nigerian women’s 4x400m relay team will not compete at the Paris Olympics after earning the gold medal at the 2024 African Athletics Championships in Douala.
The Nigerian women’s 4x400m relay team, comprising Ella Onojuvwevwo, Patience Okon, Esther Elo Joseph, and Omolara Ogunmakinju, secured a resounding gold medal at the 2024 African Athletics Championships in Douala, but their time of 3:27.31 was not enough to qualify for the Paris Olympic Games.
The Nigerian quartet excelled in the championship, outpacing their fierce competitors, Botswana and Zambia.
Onojuvwevwo began with a scorching run, passing the baton safely to Okon-George in first place, who capitalised on the lead despite a late assault from Qincy Malekani of Zambia in the home straight.
National Champion Joseph was prepared for the assignment as she further distanced herself from her colleagues, allowing Ogunmankinju to battle against the clock and stop the tape at 3:27.31 seconds, winning the team the victory.
The team’s victory was impressive, with each member playing a crucial role in their triumph. However, their time fell short of the required qualifying standard, leaving them outside the top 16 in the world.
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Despite their impressive performance, the team faces disappointment as they failed to achieve the necessary qualifying time for the Paris Olympics. Cuba’s time of 3:26.08 currently occupies the 16th spot, leaving Nigeria’s women’s 4x400m relay team outside the qualification zone.
Nigeria is no longer competing in two relay events at the Olympics. Therefore, a medal in Paris will be determined by the mixed 4x400m, women’s 4x100m, and men’s 4x400m.
The Olympic Games Paris 2024 are slated to take place in France from July 26 to August 11, 2024, with Paris serving as the major host city and 16 other cities distributed around Metropolitan France.
