The Nigerian Women 4X100m quartet has gone two steps further to win Gold in the 4x100m relay at the ongoing Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Nigeria had won bronze for the same event in the Gold Coast Games four years ago, with a time of 42.75 seconds.
Nigeria’s Women’s 4x100m quartet of Tobi Amusan, Favour Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma and Grace Nwokocha made history Sunday afternoon at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham by becoming the first Women’s relay team to win a Commonwealth Games gold metal.
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The Team that includes the World and Commonwealth Games Champion Tobi Amusan who earlier in the day set a Games Record to win Gold in the 100m hurdles event, won the gold in a record breaking race, as they ran 42.10 seconds to break the 42.22 seconds African record they set at the World Athletic Championship in Eugene Oregon, USA.
Tobi Amusan had been drafted in for Joy Udo-Gabriel barely one hour after retaining her 100 meters hurdles title in record time.
The World and Commonwealth Games 100m hurdles champion and record-holder, Amusan, started the historic run with a brilliant first leg before handing over to Ofili, who ensured Nigeria maintained the advantage before giving Chukwuma, the individual 100m finalist the baton.
Chukwuma ran the curve perfectly and handed over to reigning Nigerian 100m queen, Nwokocha, in the first position.
The 21-year-old Nwokocha maintained the advantage despite the threat by Great Britain’s anchor leg runner, Darly Neita, to bring home Nigeria’s first women’s relay gold.
Team England won Silver, while Jamaica with double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah settled for bronze.
However, in the men’s version of the 4x100m relay, team Nigeria had to settle for bronze as the quartet of Udodi Onwuzuruike, who replaced Seye Ogunlewe, along with Favour Ashe, Alaba Akintola, and Raymond Ekevwo, clocked 38.81 seconds to place 3rd.
Nnamdi Maduakor is a Writer, Investor and Entrepreneur
