Team Nigeria ended their campaign at the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London without winning a medal after they finished fifth in the women’s 4x400m on Sunday.

The Nigerian quartet of Patience Okon-George, Abike Egbeniyi, Glory Nathaniel and Yinka Ajayi finished behind the USA, Great Britain, Poland and France. The quartet ran the race in 3:26.72.

The team ran a season’s best of   3:25.40secs to qualify for the final but could not replicate it as the USA won the race in 3:19.02. Great Britain finished in 3:32.00 and Poland finished in 3:25.41.

Despite one of the runners for 2015 world champions Jamaica pulling up with an injury during the race, Nigeria never took advantage to be among the top three.

Okon-George started the race for Nigeria and handed over to Egbeniyi, who was the last member of the team to arrive in London, in third place. Egbeniyi, who completed her race in fourth position, handed the baton over to Nathaniel, who handed over to Ajayi from the fifth position. Ajayi fought to close up the gap but tired out as the race wore on.

Blessing Okagbare crashed out of the women’s 100m at the semifinal stage while she finished eighth in the women’s long jump. Ese Brume also failed to reach the final of the women’s long jump.

In the women’s 400m, Okon-George, Ajayi and Margaret Bamgbose crashed out at the semifinals. Nathaniel also got disqualified after finishing fifth in the women’s 400m hurdles.

Nigeria’s men at the event failed to reach the semifinals of their events after crashing out in the preliminary rounds. Nigerian champion Samson Nathaniel did not progress to the semifinals after finishing fifth while Edose Ibadin finished sixth in the men’s 800m. Chukwuebuka Enekwechi finished 25th in the men’s shot put while African champion Tosin Oke also finished 25th in the men’s triple jump.

Report by Miyen Akiri