Nigeria has been disqualified from the Men’s 4x400m relay final at the Paris Olympic Games. The team, consisting of Emmanuel Ojeli, Ezekiel Nathaniel, Dubem Amene, and Chidi Okezie, initially finished their heat in 2 minutes 59.81 seconds, a Season’s Best time.
In the same heat, France claimed victory with a time of 2 minutes 59.53 seconds, while Belgium secured the third automatic qualification spot in 2 minutes 59.84 seconds. However, it was determined that one of the Nigerian runners had crossed lanes, leading to the tripping of a South African athlete. As a result, Nigeria was disqualified, and their spot in the final was awarded to South Africa.
This disqualification is a significant setback for Nigeria, as the team had hoped to emulate the success of their predecessors, who won bronze in 1984 and 2004, and gold in 2000 at the Los Angeles, Sydney, and Athens Olympic Games.
This not only ends Nigeria’s chances of competing in the final but also dashes hopes of adding another Olympic medal to their record in this event. The athletes, coaches, and fans will undoubtedly reflect on what could have been, as they process the outcome and look forward to future competitions.