By Victor Kanayo
As 2022 gradually winds down, the World Athletics have ranked Nigeria Women’s 4x100m Relay Team as the 4th best globally.
This followed a publication by the World Athletics on numerous national records that were set across each of the relay disciplines in the year, including the Women’s 4x100m, where 12 countries went faster than they ever had before.
Nigeria’s feat at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon and Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, where a new African record was set, made the list.
Nigeria’s quartet of Joy Chinenye Udo-Gabriel, Favour Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma and Nzubechi Grace Nwokocha set an African record at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, the United States of America.
Running in lane 8, Udo-Gabriel, Ofili, Chukwuma and Nwokocha clocked 42.22 seconds as they finished 4th in the final to break the 30-year-old African record.
At the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, it was a different tale after the quartet of Tobi Amusan, Favour Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma and Grace Nwokocha ran a race of their lives to clinch Gold in the 4x100m women’s relay event with a time of 42.10s and also setting an African Record.
The gold medal is Nigeria’s first in Commonwealth Games women’s relay as the best outing has been silver (2014) and bronze (1990 and 2018).
Amusan particularly stood out in her hurdles career which made her race to World record feats.
She was recently named the best athlete in Africa in the year under review.
