Nigeria’s quartet of Rosemary Chigozie, Jennifer Obi Chukwuka, Rosemary Chukwuma, and Miracle Ezechukwu won gold in the women’s 4×100m, clocking a time of 42.94s at the African Senior Athletics Championships in Accra, Ghana.
Going into the final as heavy favorites, the Nigerian team faced immense pressure from strong rival line-ups from South Africa and the host nation, Ghana.
However, the race was effectively decided by the flawless technical execution of the Nigerian athletes as Liberia finished second while Ghana came third.
This gold medal further consolidates Team Nigeria’s dominant position at the summit of the track events in Accra.
Combining the experienced composure of Chukwuma with rising stars like Chigozie, Chukwuka, and Ezechukwu proves that the future of Nigerian relay running is in safe, incredibly fast hands.
In the men’s 4×100m, Nigeria’s quartet of Favor Ashe, James Emmanuel, Tejiri Godwin, and Chidera Ezeakor clocked a time of 38.70s to finish 2nd, bagging a silver medal.
They finished behind Ivory Coast, who clocked a time of 38.52s to win gold.
The team is still in position for more medals as Nnamdi Adeboye Onweaze qualified for the men’s 110m hurdles final.
Onweaze will compete for the final on Saturday after clocking a time of 14.09s to finish behind Senegal’s Louis Mendy, who won in a time of 13.65s.
The 24th Senior Athletic Championships started on the 12th of May and will end on the 17th of May.
Meanwhile, James Emmanuel has described Team Nigeria’s second place finish in the men’s 4x100m relay at the Senior Africa Athletics Championship as the result of friendship and the bond within the squad.
Emmanuel who made his debut on the continental scene was impressed by the results. He expressed his happiness in having something to show for the team’s effort.
Team Nigeria finished second in the fiercely contested Final with a time of 38.70 behind Côte d’Ivoire’s 38.52.
In an interview with shortly after the medal presentation, Emmanuel described the result as encouraging.
He admitted there was still room for improvement ahead of future competitions.
“It was a good race, and we are happy that we left here with something,” he said.
The Nigerian sprinter credited the bond within the relay quartet for the strong showing, noting that despite training separately in different locations, the athletes were able to combine effectively when it mattered most.
He emphasized that the chemistry among the runners made the difference, helping the team to perform as a unit on the track.
“Even though we all train in different places, when we come together it feels like we have been training together for a long time,” he said, adding that there is a strong sense of friendship and understanding within the group.
Looking ahead, Emmanuel said the season is still in its early stages and stressed that Team Nigeria has bigger goals on the horizon, especially the Commonwealth Games.
“The year is still young. There are a lot of events on schedule, and the biggest of them is the Commonwealth Games,” he said. “Our goal is to come back with a stronger time and a better position.”
Packaged by Lanre Olabisi
