Nigeria Storm into Women’s 4x400m Final After Five-Year Wait at World U20 Championships

Nigeria have returned to the women’s 4x400m final at the World Athletics U20 Championships for the first time in five years after producing a strong performance in Saturday’s opening round in Oregon.

The Nigerian quartet of Becky Ebiyadi, Jecinta Lawrence, Tejiri Praise Ugoh and Faith Ezechukwu clocked 3:35.28 to finish third in the second qualifying heat and secure one of the automatic final berths.

Nigeria were fifth after the opening leg, with Ebiyadi recording 54.77 seconds, before Lawrence produced a strong 52.84-second second leg to move the team into fourth at the halfway stage.

Ugoh then maintained the momentum with 54.78 seconds on the third leg, moving Nigeria into third, before Ezechukwu anchored the team home in 52.89 seconds to secure qualification.

Italy won the heat in 3:33.63, ahead of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 3:33.82, while Nigeria’s 3:35.28 was comfortably fast enough to send the team into the championship final.

The performance also placed Nigeria among the leading teams heading into the medal race, with the quartet showing considerable strength across the four legs.

Nigeria’s qualification represents a significant return for the country’s women’s 4x400m programme at the World U20 Championships, ending a five-year wait for a place in the final.

The Nigerian team will now return to the track for the final, where they will face the world’s leading junior relay nations and fight for a place on the podium.