Okagbare Leads Team Nigeria to Gold in Bahamas

Team Nigeria’s women’s 4x200m relay quartet of Blessing Okagbare, Regina George, Dominique Duncan and Christy Udoh made the country proud at the weekend, winning the gold of the event and a new national and African record on the first day of the 2015 IAAF/BTC World Relays in Bahamas

Pre-event favourites USA looked to be on course to successfully defend the title from last year, but a poor final baton exchange between Jeneba Tarmoh and Olympic 200m champion, Allyson Felix cost the Americans the gold. The efforts of the other duo of Shalonda Solomon and Kimberlyn Duncan set wasted by the poor baton exchange.

Nigeria that finished second behind the American amazons profited from the disqualification of the Yankees to claim the gold in 1:30.52. They shaved off two seconds from the national and African record they set earlier this year.

World bronze medallist Okagbare led the team off the block before the baton was passed to Regina, who then handed over to Duncan before Udoh capped the race in a blaze of glory for Nigeria.

There was drama too for the host nation as their second changeover was well outside of the zone. The Bahamas carried on and eventually crossed the line in second place, but they were soon disqualified.

Jamaica finished a distant second in 1:31.73, one-and-a-half seconds slower than their time from last year, but one place higher on the podium.

Germany were third in 1:33.61 while China set an Asian record of 1:34.89 in fourth.

Speaking from

Bahamas yesterday, the Technical Director of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Navy Commodore Omatseye Nesiama, expressed his happiness with the performance of the 4x200m relay team.

“I am very delighted about the performance of our women winning the 4x200m relay in a World leading time of 1:30.52s ahead of all the leading na- tions - USA, Jamaica, Bahamas, France, Germany, China and Ireland.

“I had said it before now that we can rely on these women to showcase our prowess in the relays and they have not disappointed me,”stressed the AFN technical director.

Nesiama said that Nigeria would have performed more than the gold that came from the 4x200m relay if not for the hitches Team Nigeria athletes had with visas.

“Unfortunately, visa issues and ill-health of some of our athletes robbed us again from getting our full strength on ground in the Bahamas.

“This caused us to put up a no show ‘scratch’ from the men’s 4x100m and would now use some 400m runners to complete our 4x200m men event for tomorrow (Monday).

He listed athletes like OghoOghene Egwero, Oghenetega Odele, Rilwan Fasasi and Tosin Adeloye as some of the athletes who could not make the trip to the Bahamas.