Gold for the men’s 4x100m team and silver for the women behind Nigeria on the final day at the Commonwealth Games
The biggest roar of the 2022 Commonwealth Games probably went to Eilish McColgan in the 10,000m but the England sprint relay victory on Sunday lunchtime at the Alexander Stadium wasn’t far behind as the quarter produced a crowd-pleasing and convincing 38.35 win ahead of Trinidad & Tobago (38.70) and Nigeria (38.81).
Jona Efoloko used the experience he garnered at the World Championships in Eugene to get the team off to a good start before individual 200m silver medallist Zharnel Hughes charged down the back straight.
Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake ran a great bend before handing over to former British champion Ojie Edoburun, who anchored the team to glory.
Afterwards the team delighted in playing to the crowd. “It was amazing,” said Efoloku. “This crowd is the best crowd I have ever had. There is a lot of pressure in the first leg and you want to give the team a good start, but hearing this noise gave me that extra boost.”
Hughes added: “Coming away with two medals, I couldn’t be any happier. To do it on home soil is spectacular.
Mitchell-Blake said: “I knew we would be in with a shout for the gold medal, and I am just happy that we were able to deliver,” while Edoburun said: “The boys have been killing it for the last few years and, for me, I didn’t want to miss out on this special generation of athletes. I want to take this confidence into the Europeans now.”
Nigeria’s 4x100m winners (Mark Shearman)
Nigeria win women’s 4x100m as England take silver
The English team also excelled in the women’s 4x100m a few minutes later when Asha Philip, Imani-Lara Lansiquot, Bianca Williams and Daryll Neita combined to take silver ahead of a Jamaican team anchored by Elaine Thompson-Herah and behind a Nigerian team that included sprint hurdles champion Tobi Amusan.
Nigeria were led off by Amusan followed by Favour Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma and Nzubechi Grace Nwokocha – and they sped to an African record of 42.10 as the English team came home in 42.41 and Jamaica in 43.08 after Thompson-Herah had passed Australia on the final leg.
There was a nice moment, too, when Williams enjoyed a lap of honour with her two-year-old son, Zuri. “He is so cute that everyone loves him,” she said. “That is the first time he has been out on a big stage but there will be many more.
“He is so fast. Whenever he comes to Brunel where I train…
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