24th African Senior Athletics Championships: Nigeria Retain Women’s 4x400m Gold, Men’s Team Extend 14-Year Drought
Nigeria successfully defended their women’s 4x400m relay crown at the African Senior Athletics Championships, with Esther Okon, Toheebat Jimoh, Jecinter Lawrence and Patience Okon-George combining to clock 3:29.25 in Accra.
The victory marked their fastest time since winning the African Games title earlier in 2024 with 3:27.29, reaffirming their dominance in the event.
Ethiopia, led by 400m champion Ajayeba Aliye, claimed silver, while Kenya finished third.
For Nigeria, the triumph was a continuation of their strong tradition in the women’s relay, as the team returned to Accra to once again stand atop the podium.
In stark contrast, Nigeria’s men’s 4x400m team endured another disappointing outing, failing to reach the podium for the sixth consecutive edition.
Their sixth-place finish extended a 14-year winless run in the event, last tasting gold in 2012 when Saul Weigopwa, Cristian Amaechi Morton, Abiola Onakoya and Isah Salihu powered to victory in 3:02.39.
Zimbabwe stole the show in the men’s final, storming to gold with an impressive 3:01.12. Kenya secured silver, while Morocco took bronze. World champions Botswana were surprisingly pushed into fourth place.
