Video: Americans Grab Podiums but Africans Heartwarming Celebration Wins Hearts at World Athletics Relay 2024

The Tommy Robinson National Stadium in Nassau, Bahamas hosted the 2024 World Athletics Relay on May 4 and 5. 893 athletes representing 54 nations competed; 32 teams of men and 30 teams of women competed in the 4x100m, while 32 teams of men, 27 teams of women, and 30 mixed teams participated in the 4x400m event, which guaranteed a spot in the Paris Olympics. In track and field, American athletes like Noah Lyles and Gabby Thomas shone, while Team US clinched four of the five available gold medals.

Soon after the event host contingent (Bahamas) secured their Olympic spot, American success set the tone for an exciting opening to the evening. Nonetheless, the top relay qualifiers from South Africa, Nigeria, and Jamaica were jubilant upon receiving their Olympic qualification ticket.

The 2024 World Athletics Relay turned into a celebratory ground

At the 2024 World Athletics Relays: Day 1 saw eight teams in each event secure their spots for the Olympics; Day 2 saw six more teams from each event qualify. The top three finishers in each race made way for the African teams of Ghana, Nigeria, and Liberia in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Notably, Ghana and Nigeria qualified in the second 4x100m Heat after Liberia in the first.

After the World Athletics Relays concluded, the joint mass of African athletes’ celebration went viral on social media. A clip of the same was shared on X by @CitiusMag captioned, “Nigeria, Ghana and Liberia’s best sprinters celebrate at the World Relays after all qualifying for the Paris Olympics in the 4x100m relay.”

Liberia’s sprinters, Joseph Fahnbulleh, Jabez Reeves, Emmanuel Matadi, and Akeem Sirleaf, set a national record in Heat 1, setting them up for the 2024 Summer Games in Paris. With a season-best time of 38.29s in Heat 2, Ghana’s men’s 4×100-meter relay team won at the Olympic Qualifying Round 2.

The team consisted of Ibrahim Fuseini, Isaac Botsio, Benjamin Azamati, and Joseph Paul Amoah. Nigeria finished second behind Ghana, earning one of the six remaining berths at the World Athletics Relays. Nigerian athletes Udodi Onwuzurike, Emmanuel Ekanem, Alaba Akintola, and Karlington Anunagba clocked 38.57 seconds.

African triumphs and challenges: highlights from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Athletes from African nations produced numerous historical events and highlights at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Kenya placed 19th in the total medals tally, earning the most medals of any African nation with 10, while 13 other African countries were noteworthy for winning medals in the Games despite the recurring visa problems.

In the 2024 World Athletics Relay, the Bahamas won the mixed 4×400-meter relay with a time of 3:12.81, followed by Jamaica. In the men’s individual 4×400-meter relay, Belgium finished third, South Africa’s team came in second, and Botswana’s team consisting of Busang Collen Kebinatshipi, Letsile Tebogo, Leungo Scotch, and Bayapo Ndori claimed first place. In addition, the Jamaican women’s 4x100m relay team met its Paris quota despite the absence of Olympic and world gold medallists, Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce, Shericka Jackson, and Elaine Thompson-Herah.