Amusan inspires Nigeria to first Commonwealth Games women’s 4x100m title in 28 years

Men's team wins first medal in 32 years

Nigeria women’s 4x100m quarter of Tobi Amusan, Favour Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma and Grace Nwokocha made history Sunday

afternoon at the Alexander stadium in Birmingham by becoming the first women’s relay team to win a Commonwealth Games

gold in 28 years.

The quartet did in record breaking fashion, running 42.10 seconds to break the barely a month old 42.22 seconds African

record they set in Oregon, USA at the World Athletics championships.

World and Commonwealth Games 100m hurdles champion and record holder, Amusan started the historic run with a brilliant

first leg before handing over to Ofili who ensured Nigeria maintained the advantage before giving Chukwuma, the individual

100m finalist the baton.

Chukwuma ran the curve perfectly and handed over to reigning Nigerian 100m queen, Nwokocha in first position.

The 21 year Nwokocha maintained the advantage despite the threat by Great Britain’s anchor leg runner, Darly Neita to

bring home Nigeria’s first women’s relay gold in well over two decades.

Four years ago Amusan was part of the relay team that finished third at the Gold Coast in Australia.

Nigeria won her first 4x100m relay Commonwealth Games gold in 1994 in Victoria, Canada when the quartet of aith Idehen, Mary Tombiri, Christy Opara-Thompson, Mary Onyali ran a then 42.99 seconds Games record to win.

The country’s first actual 4x100m relay medal was won four years earlier in Auckland, New Zealand where the quartet of Beatrice Utondu, Fatima Yusuf, Charity Opara, Chioma Ajunwa won a bronze medal.

Eight years ago, Blessing Okagbare, who successfully completed a sprints double inspired the team to a silver medal finish.

 

The men’s team of Udodi Onwuzurike, Favour Ashe, Alaba Akintola and Raymond Ekevwo also made history with the bronze medal win.

The medal is the first by the men’s 4x100m relay team since 1990 (32 years ago) when the quartet of Victor Nwankwo, Davidson Ezinwa, Osmond Ezinwa and Abdullahi Tetengi ran 38.85 seconds to win the silver medal at the Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland in 1990.

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