Nigeria’s 4x400m men’s relay team has been disqualified from the final at the Paris Olympic Games, dealing a heavy blow to the country’s hopes for a medal in athletics. The team, comprising Emmanuel Ojeli, Ezekiel Nathaniel, Dubem Amene, and Chidi Okezie, had finished their heat in a Season’s Best time of 2 minutes 59.81 seconds.
Despite their impressive performance, which saw them place just behind France, who won the race in 2 minutes 59.53 seconds, and ahead of Belgium, who secured the third automatic qualification spot with 2 minutes 59.84 seconds, the Nigerian team was later disqualified. The disqualification came after it was determined that one of the Nigerian runners had crossed lanes, leading to the tripping of a South African runner.
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As a result, Nigeria’s place in the final was awarded to South Africa, ending the Nigerian team’s aspirations to emulate the successes of previous Olympic relay teams.
Nigeria has a proud history in the 4x400m relay, with the men’s team winning bronze in Los Angeles in 1984, gold in Sydney in 2000, and bronze again in Athens in 2004.
This disqualification is a significant setback for Nigeria at the Paris Olympics, especially as the country now faces the possibility of ending the games without a medal in athletics.
