Ezekiel Nathaniel Breaks National Record in Tokyo, Inspires Young Nigerian Athletes

Nigeria’s 400m hurdles star Ezekiel Nathaniel has expressed hope that his record-breaking performance at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo will inspire the next generation of Nigerian athletes, despite narrowly missing out on a podium finish.

The 22-year-old clocked a blistering 47.11 seconds in Friday’s final, shattering his own national record of 47.31 set earlier this year. He became only the second Nigerian since Henry Amike in 1987 to reach the 400m hurdles final at the World Championships.

“I hope this performance will inspire young Nigerian athletes” Nathaniel told newsmen after the race. “This is a great opportunity to learn from the world’s best athletes.”

The dramatic race saw American Rai Benjamin finally claim his first world championship gold medal in 46.52 seconds after years of near misses. Benjamin was briefly disqualified for colliding with the last hurdle and affecting other runners, which temporarily elevated Nathaniel into bronze position. However, the American’s appeal was upheld, restoring him to the top of the timesheet.

Brazil’s Alison Dos Santos took silver in 46.84 while Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba secured bronze in 47.06, leaving Nathaniel agonisingly close to Nigeria’s second medal of the championships.

Despite the disappointment, Nathaniel accepted the ruling with grace. “It’s a fair call. He worked hard for that medal and it wasn’t deliberate. That could happen to anyone” he said.

The Baylor University athlete, who transitioned from 800m running, said he was proud of his progress. “I still have a lot of potential. I am pleased because I did my best and I ran a personal record. I just need to wait for the right time. For now, I am enjoying the process.”

Nathaniel’s rise has been meteoric. Born in 2003, he broke Henry Amike’s long-standing Nigerian record in 2022 with a 48.42 run as a freshman at the Big 12 Conference. His performances accelerated this season, winning the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon, with a 47.49 run – the third fastest in NCAA history. He also became the first man to run under 48 seconds in the NCAA 400m hurdles semifinal, clocking 47.86.

His Tokyo display, though just shy of a medal, cements his status among the world’s elite and signals a bright future for Nigerian athletics.

Nigeria wrapped up its Tokyo campaign with Tobi Amusan as the country’s only medallist, improving on last year’s Budapest outing where Team Nigeria left empty-handed.