Nigeria was drawn in heats 1 and 2 of the men’s and women’s categories, with the latter having an apparently more challenging path to the final and will start competing in the 4x100m relays of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games today.
The men’s team from Nigeria, consisting of Favour Ashe, Godson Oghenebrume, Kayinsola Ajayi, Udodi Onwuzurike, Usheoritse Itsekiri, and Alaba Akintola, will be competing in lane 2 against the following teams: South Africa (4), Great Britain (5), USA (6), Japan (7), Italy (8), and Australia (9).
The women’s team of Favour Ofili, Tima Godbless, Rosemary Chukwuma, Olayinka Olajide, and Justina Eyakpobeyan will fancy their chances of progressing to the next stage, running in lane 4 against Trinidad and Tobago (2), Spain (3), the Netherlands (5), France (6), Great Britain (7), Canada (8), and Jamaica (9).
Whilst the Nigerian men have an outside chance of reaching the podium, the women are more likely to increase the country’s medal haul in the Olympics relay events, with Udo-Obong, who anchored the country to gold in the men’s 4x400m at Sydney 2000 and bronze in Athens 2004, tipping them to shine.
“It’s difficult for us to predict because athletes come in different forms, but I will say our women’s 4x100m team look very good. That’s our strongest team, in my opinion. When you add women’s 100m hurdles and women’s long jump, we have a competitive edge.” Udo-Obong, who is now the technical advisor to the Saudi Arabia Athletics Development Programme, told our correspondent.
Akani, who is also the founder of the athletics movement Making of Champions, also tipped the quartet for success.
“I will say from the relays perspective, we do have a great opportunity to pick up one or two medals. The women’s 4x100m is a strong team, especially when you add Tobi Amusan to the list. The men’s 4x100m as well is a strong team if the athletes like Favour Ahse and Godson Brume can replicate their time from the NCAA.”
At the 2023 African Games in Ghana, Amusan teamed up with Justina Eyakpobeyan, Olayinka Olajide, and Fore Abinusawa and anchored Nigeria to gold in a time of 43.05s ahead of Liberia (44.02s) and hosts Ghana in 44.21s.
They won gold again at the Africa Senior Athletics Championship in Cameroon.
Fore Abinusawa is however not in the team to Paris, but the likes of Tima Godbless, Favour Ofili—who both ran at the World Relays in May to qualify Nigeria for the event—and Rosemary Chukwuma are in the team.
The men ran in the immediate next race and powered through in 38.57s to finish 2nd in their heat behind Ghana, securing Nigeria’s first men’s 4x100m Olympic ticket in 16 years!
Udodi Onwuzurike, Consider Ekanem, Alaba Akintola, Seye Ogunlewe, and Karlington Anunagba all played vital roles in bringing the team to qualification in the Bahamas.
