•Chigozie Nwankwo
Nigeria endured another setback in the women’s 4×100 metres at the 2026 World Athletics Relays after a botched baton exchange ended their hopes of qualifying from the heats today.
The Nigerian quartet of Chigozie Nwankwo, Jennifer Chukwuka, Maria Omokwe and Miracle Ezechukwu were in a strong position during their race at the Botswana National Stadium but failed to complete the final baton handover between Omokwe and Ezechukwu.
The error resulted in a disqualification under rule TR24.7, denying Nigeria a place among the five teams that successfully finished the race, reports Saturday PUNCH.
Jamaica dominated the heat in 41.96s to secure automatic qualification, while Germany followed in 42.44s.
Portugal placed third in 43.11s, setting a national record, with Botswana and Hungary completing the list of finishers.
Belgium and France were also disqualified in a race marked by multiple baton exchange failures, which highlighted the challenging conditions and fine margins in the sprint relay.
Nigeria’s latest disappointment continues a troubling pattern for the women’s sprint relay team, who also suffered a baton exchange failure during the national trials in Gaborone in April, a mishap that had earlier jeopardised their qualification campaign for the championships.
On this occasion, the young Nigerian side had shown promise through the opening legs before the breakdown in coordination during the crucial third to fourth exchange ended their race prematurely.
As a result, Nigeria failed to secure one of the automatic qualification places for the 2027 World Championships, which are awarded to the top two teams in each heat alongside the next fastest times.
The outcome means Nigeria will return for the repechage round on Sunday, where they must finish among the top teams in their race to keep their hopes of reaching the 2027 World Championships in Beijing alive.
With teams such as Jamaica, Spain, Canada and Germany already confirmed for the final, Nigeria now face a must-deliver situation as they seek redemption and a place among the world’s elite.
