World relay gold for Effiong, hurdle bronze for Nugent

NANJING, China – Finishing the World Indoor Championships with the women’s 4 x 400m relay produced a gold medal for Razorback Rosey Effiong while Arkansas alum Ackera Nugent earned her first senior medal with a bronze in the 60m hurdles.

Overall, UA alums totaled eight medals at the World Indoor Championships with four golds, two silver, and two bronze medals.

The United States led with 16 total medals (six gold, four silver, six bronze) while Norway had the second most gold medals at three and Australia had the second best overall total of medals at seven.

Razorback 2025 World Indoor Medalists

Effiong supplied a 51.65 third leg on the relay to significantly improve the United States lead and then handed the baton off to training partner Alexis Holmes, who anchored the relay with a 51.47 split, as the USA won in 3:27.45.

The first two legs for the Americans were supplied by Quanera Hayes (52.28) and Bailey Lear (52.05). Finishing behind the United States were Poland (3:32.05) and Australia (3:32.65).

This marks the fifth victory for USA in the women’s 4 x 400m relay at World Indoors and the first since 2018. It’s also the first time since 2016 for the Americans to sweep men’s and women’s 4 x 400m relay gold.

Arkansas remains the standard bearer in the indoor 4 x 400m relay with a world best of 3:21.75 from the 2023 NCAA Indoor Championships. Effiong supplied a 50.57 on the third leg of that relay.

Nugent had to overcome a breakaway hurdle bar bouncing on the track in the semifinal as she hit the final hurdle of the race. Nugent finished second in her semifinal heat with a time of 8.00 to reach the final with the slowest time of the eight finalists.

In the final, Nugent rallied with a season best of 7.74 and earned the bronze medal by the thinnest of margins. Fourth and fifth place also registered times of 7.74 with Poland’s Pia Skrzyszowska (7.738) and American Grace Stark (7.740) finishing behind Nugent’s 7.735.

“I didn’t have a good first two rounds, so to be able to put it together is a great feeling,” stated Nugent. “All I needed to do was to trust in the process, and I knew that I’d be ok. The only thing that I was saying in my head is that God is going to accelerate my dreams, literally, and He did.

“It’s really not easy, but as long as you believe in yourself and your potential, it’ll eventually come together in the end.”

Devynne Chartlon of the Bahamas defended her title with a 7.72 victory while Switzerland’s Ditaji Kambundji claimed silver in 7.73. Nugent’s 7.74 is the best mark for bronze in the history of the World Indoors, bettering a 7.79 by Skrzyszowska in 2024.

Nugent provides Jamaica with its first bronze in the event following a gold and silver by Michelle Freeman (1997 gold, 2001 silver) and a silver for Gillian Russell (1997).

Razorback Funminiyi Olajide represented Great Britain in the long jump, placing 10th with a mark of 21-0.5 (6.41).