Nigeria Secure 2027 World Champs Mixed 4x100m Ticket
Team Nigeria have secured qualification for the 2027 World Athletics Championships in China after reaching the final of the mixed 4x100m relay at the World Athletics Relays in Gaborone, Botswana.
The quartet of Favour Ashe, Jennifer Chukwuka-Obi, Chidera Ezeakor and Maria Thompson Omokwe produced a strong performance, stopping the clock at 40.24s to secure one of the qualification places on Saturday despite intense competition from global rivals.
Their effort also saw Nigeria break their own African record.
Canada won the semi-final in a world record time of 40.07s, ahead of Germany in 40.15s and the Netherlands in 40.20s, as Nigeria finished among the best-placed qualifiers for the final.
The qualification marks a major boost for Nigeria’s relay programme, even as the team continues to battle across other events in Gaborone, with mixed fortunes in their bid to secure additional tickets for Beijing.
Nigeria’s participation in several other relay events has been affected by the absence of key athletes, including Rosemary Chukwuma, Blessing Ogundiran and Anita Enaruna, who were unable to travel for the competition.
Their absence contributed to setbacks in the women’s 4x100m, women’s 4x400m and mixed 4x400m events, where Nigeria failed to secure further automatic qualification places for next year’s championships.
Despite those challenges, Team Nigeria remain in contention for additional qualification opportunities through the last-chance rounds in the men’s 4x100m, men’s 4x400m and mixed 4x400m events.
In the mixed 4x400m, Nigeria faced a particularly difficult draw, up against hosts Botswana, South Africa, Ireland, the Netherlands and Germany, with only two automatic qualification spots available.
Similar high-pressure scenarios confronted the men’s and women’s 4x400m teams, as well as the women’s 4x100m squad, which had been forced into the repechage after a baton exchange failure earlier in the competition.
The men’s 4x100m team, however, still has a chance of progression after being drawn in a more open heat featuring Jamaica, Japan and Belgium, where clean baton exchanges could prove decisive.
Nigeria’s strongest position remains in the mixed 4x100m relay, where qualification has already been secured and attention now turns to competing for medals against the world’s top sprint nations and also participation in the upcoming 2026 World Athletics Ultimate Championship.
With Jamaica, the United States, Canada, Germany, Spain and Great Britain and Northern Ireland all in the final field, Nigeria will aim to produce another standout performance after their record-breaking run.
As the World Relays conclude today, Nigeria will be hoping to leave Gaborone with a significant achievement in the mixed 4x100m, while still fighting to extend their representation at the 2027 World Championships in China in other events.
