2023 Commonwealth Youth Games: Okwose, Ogazi lead Nigeria to 4x100m mixed relay gold and Games record

The Nigeria 4x100m mixed relay quartet of Eyakpobeyan Justina, Samuel Ogazi, Faith Okwose and Okon Isreal Sunday ran a new 42.68 Games record to win the gold medal as th curtains were drawn on the athletics event of th 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

The former record of 43.19 was set by Australia in Nassau, Bahamas in 2017.

The gold was the Nigerians third of the day and sixth overall.

Sprinters Okwose and Ogazi had earlier successfully completed a 100/200m and 200/400m double respectively with the former setting a new Games record to win the 100m (11.26).

Agbo Destiny Nkemakonam had on Monday won the first-ever Para gold medal at the Games

The Nigerian was victorious in the Women’s discus F42-44 / F61-64, beating England’s Bibi Jackson into second place with a winning throw of 25.00m, with Namibia’s Martha Winnie Nengola picking up bronze.

The 4x400m mixed relay team placed fourth in the other final of the day. The quartet of Olanrewaju Olawole Erioluwa, Onyah Onyinye Favour and the obviously tired duo of Ogazi and Okwose ran 3:28.31.

Nigeria has now moved up to fifth on the medal table with six gold and two silver medals behind South Africa in fourth (seven gold, six silver and seven bronze medals) while Kenya are below Nigeria in sixth (five gold and four silver medals).

Australia tops with 26 gold, 17 silver and 21 bronze medals and are followed by England (16 gold, 23 silver and 10 bronze medals) while Scotland are third with 12 gold, 11 silver and five bronze medals.