Incredible: Nigeria Disqualified from World U20 Mixed Relay Final Over Non-Compliant Shoe

Nigeria’s World U20 mixed 4x100m relay team has been disqualified from the final in Oregon after officials ruled that one of its athletes competed in a non-compliant shoe, wiping out what had been a fourth-place finish despite another stunning anchor leg from Oluebube Ezechukwu.

Nigeria crossed the finish line in fourth place before the post-race disqualification was announced. The revised results show the team disqualified under World Athletics Rule TR7.1 [TR5.2] for participating after failing to comply with the shoe rules, with Bib 2150 identified as the athlete involved.

The Nigerian quartet began with Tejiri Godwin, who ran the opening leg in 10.93 seconds to leave Nigeria seventh at the 100m mark. Chigozie Rosemary Nwankwo then ran 10.62 seconds on the second leg, taking Nigeria through 200m in 21.55 seconds, still seventh.

Perfect Faye produced a 10.33-second third leg to bring Nigeria to the 300m mark in 31.88 seconds, but the team remained ninth at that stage as the leading nations pulled clear.

Then came Ezechukwu.

The 18-year-old unleashed another sensational anchor leg, clocking 9.89 seconds, the fastest final-leg split in the race, to drag Nigeria past the teams ahead and across the line in fourth position.

It was a remarkable recovery, but the celebration was short-lived. The post-race technical ruling identified Bib 2150, belonging to Faye, as having competed in non-compliant footwear, resulting in Nigeria’s disqualification. The team’s fourth-place finish was consequently removed from the official results.

The disqualification was therefore not caused by a lane infringement, baton exchange or Ezechukwu’s running. It was a footwear violation applied to the Nigerian team under the World Athletics technical rules.

Italy ultimately won the final in a World U20 record of 41.21 seconds, followed by Great Britain in 41.38 and the United States in 41.39.

For Nigeria, it was another painful relay setback in Oregon. The quartet had fought its way to fourth with a brilliant final leg from Ezechukwu, only for the result to disappear from the record books because of a technical equipment violation.

And once again, Ezechukwu’s speed was not the problem. After her astonishing 9.81-second split had rescued Nigeria’s women’s 4x100m team from fifth place and sent them into Sunday’s final, she returned to deliver another 9.89-second anchor split in the mixed relay.

This time, however, even another Ezechukwu rescue act could not prevent Nigeria from suffering heartbreak.