Olympics: Nigeria’s 4x400m Mixed Relay Team Falls Short
Nigeria’s 4x400m mixed relay team of Samuel Ogazi, Ella Onojuvwevwo, Ifeanyi Emmanuel Ojeli, and Patience Okon George narrowly missed the final in Heat 2 at the 2024 Paris Olympics, finishing 9th overall despite setting a new national record with a time of 3:11.99.
The race began with a strong performance from Samuel Ogazi, who had a great start and finished impressively in the last 50 meters before passing the baton to Onojuvwevwo.
Onojuvwevwo led the team until the final 70 meters when Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands overtook her. Emmanuel Ojeli ran an excellent leg with a split time of 44.73 seconds, pushing Nigeria into second place.
Patience Okon George also ran well but struggled in the last 30 meters, allowing Italy to take the final automatic spot in the final.
Nigeria finished 4th in their heat with the national record time of 3:11.99, behind Great Britain (3:10.61), the Netherlands (3:10.81), and Italy (3:11.59).
They were just one place away from making the final, as the top 8 teams advanced.
