Team Nigeria’s hopes of competing in the men’s 4x400m relay final at the Paris Olympic Games have been dashed following a disqualification. The team, comprising Emmanuel Ojeli, Ezekiel Nathaniel, Dubem Amene, and Chidi Okezie, initially finished their heat with a season’s best time of 2 minutes 59.81 seconds. Despite their strong performance, which placed them in contention for the final, the team was disqualified due to a lane infringement.
The race saw France winning heat 2 in 2 minutes 59.53 seconds, with Belgium securing the third automatic qualifying spot in 2 minutes 59.84 seconds. However, it was adjudged that one of the Nigerian runners crossed into another lane, leading to a collision that caused a South African runner to trip. As a result of this infraction, the spot originally secured by Nigeria has been awarded to South Africa.
The disqualification is a significant setback for Team Nigeria, which has a storied history in the 4x400m relay, having previously won bronze medals in the Los Angeles 1984, Sydney 2000, and Athens 2004 Olympics. The athletes had been looking to emulate these past successes in Paris, but their campaign has now come to an abrupt end.
