Nigeria’s search for qualification for the relay events of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris will be without the country’s fastest man so far this year, Favour Ashe, when the 4x100m quartet file out at the World Athletics Relay in Nassau, Bahamas next month.
The 21-year-old was left out of Nigeria’s 29-man list released by the World Athletics on Tuesday.
The Auburn University undergraduate has been in great form this outdoor season and has broken 10 seconds twice (9.96 and 9.99).
No reason has been given by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) for the omission of Favour Ashe.
Listed in the men’s 4x100m squad include; Usheoritse Itsekiri, Godson Oghenebrume, Udodi Onwuzurike, Alaba Akintola, Karlingthon Anunagba, Consider Ekanem, Seye Ogunlewe and Israel Okon Sunday.
The team will strive to be among the best 14 finishers to secure a lane in Paris for the first time since 2008 when the quartet of Onyeabor Ngwogu, Obinna Metu, Chinedu Oriala and Uchenna Emedolu did not finish in the first heat of the event at the Bird’s Nest in Beijing, China.
For the men’s 4x400m, African Games 400m champion, Chidi Okezie headlines the list of eight quarter-milers listed to return Nigeria to the Games since 2004 when Godday James led the team to a bronze medal finish in Athens, Greece.
Others listed include; Sikiru Adeyemi, Dubem Amene, Ezekiel Nathaniel and his brother, Samson Nathniel, Dubem Nwanchukwu, Samuel Ogazi who has been improving since his switch to University of Alabama and holds the Nigerian U18 record and Ifeanyi Ojeli.
For the women’s 4x100m, sprint hurdler, Tobi Amusan and Favour Ofili, Nigeria’s 200m record holder (indoors and out) will lead the team that will also include; Rosemary Chukwuma, Justina Eyakpobeyan, Tima Godbless, Elo Blessing and African Games double sprint medalist, Olayinka Olajide.
The team is tasked with qualifying Nigeria for the Games and a place in the final, eight years after the quartet of Gloria Asumnu, Blessing Okagbare, Jennifer Madu and Agnes Osazuwa last did in Brazil.
For the 4x400m, African Games hero, Omolara Ogunmakinju who literarily ensured Nigeria won the 4x400m mixed relay gold in Accra, Ghana last month topped the list of quartermilers listed by the AFN.
Ogunmakinju who is the fourth Nigerian woman to break 52 seconds (51.90) over the 400m flat this year will be joined by the three other women who have ran sub-52 seconds in the event. They include Ella Onojuvwevwo who set a 51.32 lifetime best 10 days ago, African Games silver medalist, Elo Joseph who ran inside 52 seconds thrice in Accra culminating in her setting a 51.61 personal best and Patience Okon George who ran 51.97 at the African Games trials in Asaba in February.
Ogunmakinju, at 30, will have the ardous task, as it were, of securing Nigeria’s first appearance in the event at the Games since 2012 when she led the quartet of herself, Muizat Ajoke Odumosu, Regina George and Bukola Abogunloko to run in the final of the event in London albeit they were later disqualified for lane violation after originally finishing in seventh place.
According to World Athletics,the World relays will serve as the main Olympic qualifying event for the relays with the first 14 placed countries automatically qualifying for the relay events at the Games
