Ifeanyi Emmanuel Ojeli, Ezekiel Nathaniel, Dubem Amen and Chidi Okezie of Team Nigeria react after competing in the Men's 4 x 400m Relay of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade de France. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
The Nigerian men’s 4x400m relay team has been disqualified from the 2024 Olympics after stepping on the line during their heat.
The team, comprised of Emmanuel Ojeli, Ezekiel Nathanial, Dubem Amene, and Chidi Okezie, had initially secured a spot in the final by finishing second in their semifinal heat with a season’s best time of 2:59.81.
However, officials confirmed shortly after the race that the team had committed a lane violation, leading to their disqualification.
As a result, Nigeria’s place in the final will be taken by another team.
This setback is another blow to frustrating chapter in Nigeria’s overall performance at the 2024 Olympics.
France won the race, clocking a time of 2:59.61, while Belgium secured the third automatic qualification spot with a time of 2:59.84.
