Nigeria’s women’s 4×100 metres relay team suffered a setback at the World Athletics Relays after a botched baton exchange led to their disqualification during the heats on Saturday.

The quartet of Chigozie Nwankwo, Jennifer Chukwuka, Maria Omokwe and Miracle Ezechukwu had been in contention at the Botswana National Stadium before failing to complete the final handover between Omokwe and Ezechukwu.

The error resulted in disqualification under World Athletics rule TR24.7, ending Nigeria’s hopes of advancing from the heat.

Jamaica won the race in 41.96 seconds to secure automatic qualification, with Germany finishing second in 42.44 seconds. Portugal placed third in a national record time of 43.11 seconds, while Botswana and Hungary completed the list of finishers.

Belgium and France were also disqualified in a race marked by multiple baton exchange errors, underscoring the technical difficulty of the event.

Nigeria’s latest disappointment continues a concerning trend for the team, which also experienced a baton exchange failure during national trials in Gaborone in April, affecting their qualification campaign.

Despite a promising start in the early legs, a breakdown in coordination during the crucial final exchange ended their race prematurely.

The result means Nigeria missed out on automatic qualification for the 2027 World Championships, reserved for top finishers and fastest times across heats.

They will now compete in Sunday’s repechage round, where a strong finish is required to keep their hopes of reaching the 2027 championships in Beijing alive.