The inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship is scheduled for Budapest in September
Team Nigeria wrapped up its campaign at the World Athletics Relays in Gaborone on Sunday with a sixth-place finish in the mixed 4x100m final, sealing qualification for the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship scheduled for Budapest in September.
The race was won by Jamaica, whose quartet of Ackeem Blake, Tina Clayton, Kadrian Goldson and Tia Clayton set a new world record of 39.62 seconds. Canada finished second in 40.23 seconds, while the United States placed third in 40.33 seconds.
The mixed 4x100m event proved to be one of the highlights of the competition, with multiple world records recorded. Jamaica and Canada had earlier set world records of 39.99 seconds and 40.07 seconds, respectively, during the heats—improving on the previous global best of 40.30 seconds set by Canada at the event’s debut edition in Guangzhou.
In the final, Jamaica once again rose to the occasion, lowering the record further to secure the title ahead of Canada and the United States. Germany and Spain completed the top five, with Nigeria finishing sixth to claim the final qualifying spot for the Ultimate Championship.
All finalists had already secured qualification for the 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing after advancing from the heats, underlining the high standard of competition in Gaborone.
Nigeria’s outing in Botswana also produced multiple qualification successes. The country secured three tickets to the World Championships across different relay events, reflecting a competitive showing despite some setbacks.
One of the standout moments came in the mixed 4x400m relay, where the team of Samson Nathaniel, Taiwo Kudoro, Chidi Okezie and Patience Okon-George delivered a season’s best of 3:12.88 to finish second in their heat. That performance secured automatic qualification for the 2027 World Championships.
Earlier, Nigeria’s mixed 4x100m team had set a new African record of 40.24 seconds in the heats to book the country’s first qualification ticket.
A third qualification came through the women’s 4x100m relay team. The quartet of Rosemary Chigozie, Jennifer Chukwuka-Obi, Maria Thompson and Miracle Ezechukwu clocked 42.94 seconds to finish second in their repechage heat, narrowly behind France, which won in 42.93 seconds.
However, Nigeria narrowly missed out on qualification in the men’s 4x100m relay. The team finished third in their repechage heat in 38.50 seconds, behind Jamaica, which won in 38.14 seconds. Despite a strong effort, issues with the baton exchange proved costly.
There were also challenges in the women’s 4x400m relay, where Nigeria was unable to field a complete team, largely due to tight scheduling and athlete fatigue following earlier races.
Overall, Nigeria’s campaign in Gaborone reflected both promise and areas for improvement. While the athletes demonstrated resilience and secured multiple qualification spots, the competition also highlighted the importance of depth, planning and execution at the highest level.
