Nigeria secures two more spots for World Championships at relays

Team Nigeria has added two more qualification slots for the upcoming World Championships in Beijing after strong performances at the 2026 World Athletics Relays in Botswana.

On the final day of the competition, Nigeria booked places in the mixed 4x400m and women’s 4x100m events, boosting the country’s presence at the global meet.

The mixed 4x400m team, made up of Samson Nathaniel, Taiwo Kudoro, Chidi Okezie, and Patience Okon-George, delivered an impressive run to finish second in their race. Their time of 3:12.88, a season’s best, was enough to secure automatic qualification.

Nigeria’s women’s 4x100m team also bounced back strongly after an earlier setback. The quartet of Chigozie Rosemary, Obi Jennifer Chukwuka, Maria Thompson, and Miracle Ezechukwu had missed out on qualification on the opening day due to a poor baton exchange.

However, they returned with a much cleaner performance in the repechage round, clocking 42.94 seconds to finish second behind France and seal their place at the championships.

Despite these successes, Nigeria fell short in the men’s 4x400m event. The team placed third in their repechage heat with a time of 3:01.43, missing out on qualification.

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Overall, Team Nigeria secured three qualification slots out of the six available events at the relays, marking a solid outing as preparations continue for the World Championships.

The performances highlight both the team’s resilience and areas needing improvement, especially in baton exchanges and race execution. Still, with multiple tickets secured, Nigeria will be aiming to build on this momentum heading into Beijing.