By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
Team Nigeria delivered another outstanding performance at the 2026 World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon, setting a new African U20 record in the mixed 4x100m relay while several athletes progressed to the next rounds of their respective events.
The Nigerian quartet of Tejiri Godwin, Rosemary Nwankwo, Perfect Faye and Miracle Ezechukwu clocked 41.91 seconds to finish second in their heat and qualify for the final.
The team’s dramatic finish was powered by Ezechukwu, who produced a remarkable anchor leg, overtaking Germany and closing rapidly on the United States before the finish line. His impressive 10.05-second anchor split helped Nigeria register a new Nigerian U20 record and the fastest time ever recorded by an African U20 team in the mixed 4x100m relay.
The performance places Nigeria firmly among the medal contenders ahead of the event’s final.
Nigeria also recorded success in the women’s 400m, with Jecinta Lawrence and Faith Ezechukwu advancing to the semifinals.
Lawrence fought hard to finish third in her heat, posting 53.97 seconds in a dead heat with Eni Kuske, with both athletes credited with the same time. Faith Ezechukwu also secured automatic qualification after finishing third in her heat in 54.38 seconds.
In the men’s triple jump, Precious Opinion booked a place in the final after producing a personal best leap of 16.02 metres in the qualification round.
Opinion surpassed the automatic qualifying standard of 16.00 metres to finish among the top five qualifiers, boosting Nigeria’s hopes of another medal.
The latest achievements build on Team Nigeria’s strong campaign in Eugene, following Jessica Oji’s qualification for the women’s shot put final after leading the qualification round with a throw of 17.56 metres.
With athletes advancing across multiple events, Team Nigeria will head into the next phase of the championships with growing optimism and several opportunities to challenge for podium finishes.
The National Sports Commission’s Director General’s media aide, Kola Daniel, said the performances reflected the team’s determination and growing confidence as the championships progressed.
