Team Nigeria, on Wednesday in Nairobi, won the gold medal in the 4 x 400 metres mixed relay event at the ongoing World Athletics Under-20 Championships.
The quartet of Johnson Nnamani, Imaobong Uko, Deborah Oke and Bamidele Ajayi won the event’s final race at the Kasarani Stadium.
The team won in a time of three minutes 19.70 seconds to set a new African record, a few hours after winning the opening round’s heat 2 in 3:21.66 seconds.
The trio of Nnamani, Oke, Ajayi and Ella Onojuvwevwo had earlier in the day got the best qualifying time in the event’s two first round (semi-final) heats for a continental record.
The team, now without Onojuvwevwo and with Uko, then went on in the final to improve on Nigeria’s performance to win in grand style.
Poland, which had earlier recorded a season best at 3:24.69, won the event’s silver medal with an improved 3:19.80, which is another season best.
India also improved from a continental record of 3:23.36 to pick the bronze medal with a time of 3:20.60.
