Nigeria clinches Mixed Relay gold at 24th African Senior Athletics Championships

Nigeria secured its second gold medal at the 24th African Senior Athletics Championships after the Mixed 4x400m Relay stormed home first ahead of Kenya and Botswana.

The quartet of Ezekiel Asuquo, Toheebat Jimoh, Victor Sampson, and Patience Okon-George ran 3:16.41 to claim the second gold of Day 2 of the championships after sprint hurdler Tobi Amusan sped home first in the 100m hurdles for her third gold since she won her first in 2018.

The world 100m hurdles record holder was the favourite for the title and she delivered in dominant fashion, with Adaobi Tabugo picking up the bronze medal, her first individual title at the championships after finishing fifth two years ago.

Also on the day, Rosemary Chukwuma and Chidera Ezeakor raced to the podium in the 100m event but failed to end Nigeria’s long wait for the ultimate medal, the gold.

In the women’s race, Rosemary Chukwuma, the pre-race overwhelming favourite and African leader at 10.95, did not make that count as she was beaten to the gold medal by Cameroon’s Kole Etame, who holds an 11.13 personal best achieved in June 2025 and started racing this year at the championships.

Chukwuma’s failure to win the gold medal means Nigeria will have to wait until 2028 to have a 100m champion, since Blessing Okagbare was crowned one way back in 2014.

For the men, Favour Ashe failed to fulfil expectations and it was home boy Chidera Ezeakor who ran all the way to the podium to pick up the bronze medal.

In the women’s hammer throw, Oyesade Olatoye also failed to win her first continental title since she won the hammer throw gold at the 22nd edition of the championships in Mauritius in 2022.