Two days ago, Nigeria’s Ezekiel Nathaniel made history as the first Nigerian man since Henry Amike in 1987 to qualify for a 400m hurdles World Championship final.
In Friday’s final at the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships, 22-year-old Nathaniel produced the race of his life, but missed a medal by just 0.05 seconds, finishing 4th in men’s 400m hurdles final.
The Race of His Life
The final was set up as one of the fastest in history, with the world’s top hurdlers bursting out of the blocks.
Nathaniel positioned himself brilliantly on the back straight, building momentum and staying within touching distance of the podium contenders.
At the finish line was USA’s Rai Benjamin, who powered through to clinch gold in a Season’s Best (46.52s) despite stumbling on the last hurdle.
Brazil’s Alison dos Santos claimed silver in 46.84s, and Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba secured bronze with a Season’s Best of 47.06s.
Nathaniel, chasing Samba to the line, clocked a blistering 47.11s, breaking his own National Record (NR) and securing 4th place.
This is Nigeria’s best men’s finish at a World Championships since Francis Obikwelu’s medal in 1999.
Drama in Tokyo: From Bronze to 4th Again
The final was not without controversy. Moments after the race, Benjamin was disqualified for displacing a hurdle and impacting another athlete, which briefly elevated Nathaniel to bronze medal position.
Nigerian fans erupted in joy, until Benjamin’s appeal was upheld, restoring him as champion and pushing Nathaniel back to 4th place.
Despite the heartbreak, Nathaniel showed remarkable sportsmanship:
“It’s a fair call. He put in a lot of work to get that medal and if they are trying to rip off from that, I don’t think that’s fair.”
“He didn’t deliberately knock over the hurdle, that could happen to anyone.”
“I Hope This Inspires Young Nigerians” – Ezekiel Nathaniel
While gutted at being so close to history, Nathaniel focused on the bigger picture.
“I hope this performance will inspire young Nigerian athletes. This is a great opportunity to learn from the world’s best athletes.”
He added:
“I still have a lot of potential. I am pleased because I did my best and I ran a personal record. I have it in me and just need to wait for the right time.”
“For now, I am enjoying the process.”
Nathaniel’s Remarkable Rise
Born in 2003, Nathaniel’s journey to the global stage has been meteoric.
A former 800m runner, he switched to the hurdles at Baylor University in Texas, breaking Henry Amike’s long-standing Nigerian record in 2022 with a time of 48.42s at the Big 12 Conference meet.
This season has been nothing short of phenomenal:
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NCAA Outdoor Champion (400mH) with 47.49s — the third-fastest NCAA time ever.
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First man in NCAA history to run sub-48s in the semifinals (47.86s).
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Top 3 finishes in the Diamond League at Prefontaine, Silesia & Zurich.
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Nigerian Record holder at 47.11s.
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Ranked No. 5 in the world in 400m hurdles.
Nigeria’s Campaign in Tokyo
Nathaniel’s record run capped Nigeria’s campaign in Tokyo, where Tobi Amusan won the country’s only medal.
Still, the team’s performance is an improvement from Budapest 2023, where Nigeria left empty-handed.
While Nathaniel’s 4th-place finish matches Amike’s historic run in 1987, his youth and consistency gives hope that Nigeria’s wait for a men’s hurdles medal at the World Championships may soon be over.
Very close this time but, Nigeria’s Big 4 runner has announced himself among the world’s elite, and his sun will surely shine.
