The Nigerian men’s 4x400m relay team, composed of Dubem Nwachukwu, Dubem Amene, Sikiru Adeyemi, and Chidi Okezie, delivered an outstanding performance at the 2024 World Relays, clocking a time of 3:01.70 to secure their qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympics. Facing formidable opponents like Jamaica and Belgium, Nigeria needed a top 2 finish to book their ticket to the Olympics.
Nwachukwu kicked off the relay, coming in 2nd on the lead-off leg before passing the baton to Amene. Amene maintained the momentum with a flawless run on the second leg, ensuring Nigeria remained competitive. Adewale continued the strong performance, maintaining the pace throughout his leg. When Okezie took over for the anchor leg, Nigeria was in 3rd place, at risk of missing the automatic Olympic qualification. However, Okezie showcased remarkable patience, strategically waiting behind Jamaican anchor Demish Gaye until the final stretch, where he sprinted ahead to secure 2nd place for Nigeria.
Okezie’s split time of 44.46s on the anchor leg was particularly impressive, marking his second sub-45s split of the night. With their time of 3:01.70, the Nigerian team achieved their fastest performance since the 2004 Athens Olympics, where they won bronze with a time of 3:00.90.
