Nigeria’s women’s 4x100m team endured another disappointing outing at the 2026 World Athletics Relays after a failed baton exchange ended their chances of advancing from the heats on Saturday, PUNCH Online reports.
The quartet of Chigozie Nwankwo, Jennifer Chukwuka, Maria Omokwe and Miracle Ezechukwu were in a competitive position at the Botswana National Stadium but could not complete the final baton exchange between Omokwe and Ezechukwu.
The mistake led to a disqualification under rule TR24.7, which eliminated them from the race and denied them a finish among the top five teams.
Jamaica topped the heat in 41.96s to claim automatic qualification, with Germany finishing second in 42.44s.
Portugal came third in a national record time of 43.11s, while Botswana and Hungary completed the finishers. Belgium and France were also disqualified in a race that saw several baton exchange errors.
Nigeria’s latest setback continues a worrying trend for the women’s sprint relay team, who also experienced a baton mishap during national trials in Gaborone in April, which had already complicated their qualification journey.
The team had shown early promise during the race before the breakdown in coordination at the crucial third-to-fourth exchange ended their campaign prematurely.
The result means Nigeria failed to secure automatic qualification for the 2027 World Championships, which go to the top two finishers in each heat, along with the fastest remaining teams.
They will now compete in the repechage round on Sunday, where they must secure a top finish to keep their hopes of reaching the 2027 World Championships in Beijing alive.
With strong teams like Jamaica, Spain, Canada and Germany already through to the final, Nigeria now face a must-win situation as they chase redemption and qualification.