To face heavyweights U.S., Great Britain, others in first round
A tough task awaits Team Nigeria’s men’s 4x100m team today in the first round of the event following their draw in a group replete with heavyweights, including Team USA, Great Britain, Japan, and South Africa.
 
The U.S. team is complete with three individual 100m finalists, Noah Lyles, Fred Kerley, and Kenny Bednarek, while South Africa has Akani Simbine, a 100m finalist, as well as semifinalists, Benjamin Richardson and Shaun Maswanganyi, who have all broken 10 seconds in the 100m. The South Africans have done a 38.08 this year.
 
Also competing in the group for the three automatic tickets to the final are Great Britain, who holds a personal season best of 38.32, Japan (38.07 personal season best), Australia (38.31 personal season best), and The Netherlands (personal season best of 38.30).
 
The Nigerian men’s 4x100m team will parade athletes like Favour Ashe and Keyishola Ajayi, who crashed out in the semifinal of the 100m event at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
 
Also available for selection are Usheoritse Itsekiri, Israel Sunday Okon, and Alaba Akintola.
 
It was not clear, yesterday, if U.S.-based sprinter, Godson Brume has fully recovered to be part of the team.
 
Brume, who qualified for the Paris Olympics with an impressive 9.99 seconds, got injured during Team Nigeria’s training tour of Germany.