By Olanrewaju Akojede
Lagos, Aug. 7, 2022 (NAN) Team Nigeria at the on-going 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham has set another record by winning the first ever women’s 4×100 race to earn a gold medal.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nigeria’s quartet of sprint sensation, Tobi Amusan, Favour Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma and Grace Nwokocha made history Sunday afternoon at the Alexander Stadium by becoming the first women’s relay team to win a Commonwealth Games gold.
The quartet achieved this feat in record breaking fashion, running 42.10 seconds to break the barely one month old 42.22 seconds African record they set in Oregon, USA at the World Athletics championships.
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 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 Team Nigeria’s first women’s 4 x 100m relay gold.
The men’s team of Udodi Onwuzurike, Favour Ashe, Alaba Akintola and Raymond Ekevwo also made history with the bronze medal win.
The medal is the first by the men’s 4x100m relay team since 1982.
Nigeria now has astonishing 11 gold medals at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham (NAN)
