Multiple African Games gold medallist, Patience Okon-George is confident that the Nigerian women’s 4x400m relay team can secure a spot at the Paris 2024 Olympics during the African Senior Athletics Championships starting today in Cameroon.
The Athletics Federation of Nigeria has selected a team of 40 athletes, including Okon-George, Esther Joseph, Omolara Ogunmakinju, Ela Onojuvwevwo, and Esther Okon, to participate in the championships, which end on June 26.
With nine days to the end of the qualification window for the Paris Games, the quartet, which missed out on the World Relays in the Bahamas, where Nigeria’s other quartets qualified for the Olympics, is poised to complete the relays team.
Their absence in the Bahamas was hinged on visa issues for some of the athletes, including Patience Okon-George, while 2023 African Games sensational anchor leg Omolara Ogunmakinju was sidelined by an injury.
“For the time we have right now, I know that we are good to go at the African Senior Athletics Championship in Cameroon and I think we are going to drop a good time there, if not 3:24s, then 3:25s. If the four of us can split 51s each, it will be so good for us,” Okon-George said via Making of Champions.
The 32-year-old finished second in the women’s 400m at the just-concluded National Trials in Benin City in 51.76s but she was delighted by the rise of younger athletes like winner Esther Joseph who won the race in a time of 51.70s.
“I’m very happy because right from time I have been looking forward to us making a strong comeback in the women’s 400m. When I stepped into track and field there were lots of people running 51s at that time. The younger ladies are now running good times as well and I pray that God gives them the grace to hang on.”
Each member of the quartet will also be running the women’s 400m flat in Cameroon to punch their individual tickets to Paris.
However, The contingent comprises top-notch athletes, including Tobi Amusan, Favour Ofili, Ese Brume, Temitope Adeshina, and Chioma Onyekwere, all set to bring glory to Nigeria at the championships.
The team also includes Favour Ashe, Chidi Okezie, Dubem Amene, the new men’s 400m champion, and Kanyinsola Ajayi, the new 100m national champion.
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