Team Nigeria’s mixed 4x100m relay squad has qualified for the final at the ongoing World Athletics Relays in Gaborone, Botswana, after finishing fourth in their heat with a record-breaking performance.

The Nigerian quartet of Favour Ashe, Jennifer Chukwuka-Obi, Chidera Ezeakor and Maria Thompson clocked 40.24 seconds to set a new African record. They progressed alongside winners Canada, who posted a world record time of 40.07 seconds, as well as Germany and the Netherlands, who finished second and third respectively.

The result marks Nigeria’s only automatic qualification for a final at the two-day competition, having competed in four other relay events.

The performance also secured the team a place at the World Athletics Championships, with their time earning one of the available non-automatic qualification slots.

However, Nigeria did not secure automatic qualification in the men’s 4x100m, men’s 4x400m and mixed 4x400m relays. The Athletics Federation of Nigeria attributed the outcomes to inexperience and the absence of key athletes.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the federation said three foreign-based runners—Rosemary Chukwuma, Blessing Ogundiran and Anita Enaruna—were unable to travel, forcing relatively inexperienced home-based athletes to compete in their place.

Nigeria will have another opportunity to qualify in the affected events through repechage rounds scheduled for early Sunday.