CWG 2022: Team Nigeria Wins First-ever Relay Gold, Amusan Clinches Record Hurdles Gold

OKAFOR MOSES/Birmingham

Team Nigeria women’s 4x100m quartet of Tobi Amusan, Favour Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma and Grace Nwokocha made history Sunday afternoon at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham by becoming the first women’s relay team to win a Commonwealth Games gold.

The quartet achieved this feat in record breaking fashion, running 42.10 seconds to break the barely one month old 42.22 seconds African record they set in Oregon, USA at the World Athletics championships.

World and Commonwealth Games 100m hurdles champion and record holder, Amusan started the historic run with a brilliant first leg before handing over to Ofili who ensured Nigeria maintained the advantage before giving Chukwuma, the individual 100m finalist the baton.

Chukwuma ran the curve perfectly and handed over to reigning Nigerian 100m queen, Nwokocha in first position.

The 21 year Nwokocha maintained the advantage despite the threat by Great Britain’s anchor leg runner, Darly Neita to bring home Team Nigeria’s first women’s 4 x 100m relay gold.

The men’s team of Udodi Onwuzurike, Favour Ashe, Alaba Akintola and Raymond Ekevwo also made history with the bronze medal win.

The medal is the first by the men’s 4x100m relay team since 1982.

Meanwhile, Tobiloba Ayomide Amusan has made history as the first Nigerian track and field athlete and the second in history to successfully defend a Commonwealth Games 100m hurdles title.

The petite, 25 year old also set a new 12.30 seconds Games Record on the way to winning the event’s gold.

Amusan, the reigning World champion and world record holder in the event also became the first Nigerian track and field athlete to win gold at two editions of the Games.

With the gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Amusan has now become the only Nigerian athlete in history to complete a grand slam of titles at the continental, Commonwealth and world levels after winning gold at the 22nd African Athletics championships in Mauritius in June and the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, USA last month.

Amusan’s gold has now brought to 10 the number of gold medals won by Nigeria so far, one short of the 11 won in 1994, 2010 and 2014.

It is also one short of the three gold medals won by the track and field team in 1990,1994 and 2014 with the 4x100m relays and the women’s long jump final coming up later Sunday afternoon and evening respectively.