Nigeria’s hopes for automatic qualification in the men’s and women’s 4x100m relay events for the Paris 2024 Olympics suffer a blow as both teams failed to pick automatic tickets at the World Relays in Bahamas.
In the men’s category the Nigerian quartet of Udodi Onwuzuruike, Consider Ekanem, Alaba Akintola, and Seye Ogunlewe finished fourth in their heat, posting a time of 38.47s.
This left them behind France, Great Britain, and Trinidad and Tobago, securing them a spot in the next round but not an automatic qualification.
Similarly, the women’s team, comprising Justina Eyakpobeyan, Avour Ofili, Olayinka Olajide, and Tima Godbless, narrowly missed out on an automatic ticket, finishing third in their heat with a time of 43.15s.
The United States claimed victory in 42.21s, followed by France, who edged out Nigeria for the second spot with a time of 43.09s.
Despite the setback, there’s still a glimmer of hope for Nigeria as both teams will now compete in round 2.
They will aim to secure a top-two finish in their respective heats to secure their place in the Paris 2024 Olympics.
