It was a bittersweet night for Nigeria’s Ezekiel Nathaniel at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. The 21-year-old hurdler delivered the race of his life in the men’s 400m hurdles final, smashing the Nigerian national record with a stunning 47.11 seconds.
Despite the historic run, Nathaniel finished fourth, narrowly missing out on a medal by just 0.05 seconds as Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba edged him to bronze with 47.06.
The drama intensified when American Rai Benjamin, who had initially won gold, was briefly disqualified for a lane infringement. For a fleeting moment, Nathaniel was elevated into the bronze medal position. But following an appeal, Benjamin was reinstated, dropping the Nigerian back to fourth.
Visibly gutted after the race, Nathaniel admitted how close he felt to securing a medal for himself and his country. Yet his performance remains a milestone achievement, not only setting a new national record but also making him the first Nigerian to reach the 400m hurdles final at the World Championships in nearly four decades.
Though the podium eluded him this time, Nathaniel’s display signals hope for a bright future for Nigerian athletics despite the controversies surrounding the Athletics Federation of Nigeria.
