Nigeria’s mixed 4x100m quartet of Favour Ashe, Jennifer Chukwuka-Obi, Chidera Ezeakor and Maria Thompson Omokwe have qualified for next year’s World Athletics Championships in China after clocking a season’s best 40.24s at the Debswana World Athletics Relays Gaborone 2026, www.aclsports.com reports.
The opening day of the competition, which runs from 2–3 May, saw Nigeria produce a composed performance in the mixed 4x100m. The quartet ran 40.24s to finish fourth in Heat 1, a result that secured their ticket to Beijing 27 through the qualification system as they held their nerve in a tightly contested race on Saturday.
Alongside Nigeria, the United States, Jamaica, Great Britain & Northern Ireland, Netherlands, Spain and Germany also secured qualification in the mixed 4x100m, underlining the depth of competition in the event.
Nigeria’s men’s 4x400m team also kept their hopes alive after running 3:01.04s to finish sixth, with Badmus, Ojeli, Ime and Asuquo progressing into the repechage round.
The women’s 4x400m quartet of Esther Okon, Toheebat Jimoh, Taiwo Mary Kudoro and Jecinta Lawrence also advanced to the repechage stage after clocking 3:30.71s in a closely contested heat.
In the mixed 4x400m, Samson Nathaniel, Taiwo Mary Kudoro, Chidi Okezie and Patience Okon George ran 3:13.12s to finish third in their heat, narrowly missing automatic qualification but moving into the repechage to keep their World Championships hopes alive.
The men’s 4x100m team of Favour Ashe, James Emmanuel Taiwo, Tejiri Godwin and Chidera Ezeakor produced a season’s best 38.31s to finish fifth in their heat.
However, there was disappointment in the women’s 4x100m, where a baton exchange error led to disqualification and ended their race prematurely.
Elsewhere, several leading athletics nations including Jamaica, Italy, Poland, Spain, Canada, Germany and Great Britain & Northern Ireland also confirmed qualification across various relay events, underlining the depth of competition at the championships.
The mixed relay finals on Sunday will determine further qualification spots for the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26, with the top six teams in both events sealing automatic places.
