Team Nigeria Women’s 4x400m Relay Secures World Relays Spot at MTN CHAMPS Calabar
The MTN CHAMPS Athletics Classics in Calabar concluded in thrilling fashion on Day 3, highlighted by Team Nigeria’s women’s 4x400m relay team clinching qualification for the upcoming World Relays Championships in Botswana this May.
Led by veteran three-time Olympian Patience Okon-George alongside rising stars Anita Enaruna, Treasure Okereke, and Jecinter Lawrence, the quartet delivered a strong performance, clocking 3:31.14 to move up to 21st in the World Rankings.
Their effort displaced Mexico and secured Nigeria’s place at this year’s edition of the World Relays, which will be hosted on African soil for the first time. Ethiopia followed in second with 3:38.31, while Nigeria’s B team finished third in 3:40.50.
This achievement marks the second time a Nigerian team has qualified for the World Relays at an MTN CHAMPS competition, following the mixed 4x100m team’s success at the Continental Relays in Lagos last year.
The men’s 4x400m team, however, narrowly missed out, clocking 3:04.59 against the required 3:03.46.
The day also produced standout performances across sprint and field events.
In the junior men’s 4x100m, Team MTN B edged Team MTN A with a winning time of 43.32, while Grace and Gold claimed the girls’ category in 48.89. Toheebat Jimoh added another gold medal to her tally, winning the women’s 200m in a personal best of 24.51, with teammate Miracle Uwem Donald close behind.
Olaoluwa Obashola took the men’s 200m title in 21.74 despite a headwind, while N-Youth’s Miracle Ezechukwu and Rosemary Nwankwo dominated the junior women’s 200m.
Other highlights included Liberty Okon’s second crown in the junior men’s 200m, Emmanuel Akolo’s sprint double in the youth boys’ category, and Esther James’ victory in the cadet girls’ 200m. In the field events, Samuel Kure impressed with a commanding javelin throw of 77.50m, while Clergy Edet soared to a lifetime best of 1.75m in the women’s high jump.
