Ezekiel Nathaniel Breaks Nigerian Record In 400m Hurdles Final At Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships
2 min read
By Sedara Philip
It was heartbreak and history for Nigeria’s Ezekiel Nathaniel at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, as the 21-year-old hurdler delivered the performance of his life, breaking the Nigerian national record in the men’s 400m hurdles final but narrowly missing out on a historic podium finish.
Nathaniel stormed to a sensational 47.11 seconds, shaving off precious milliseconds from his previous best to establish a new Nigerian record in one of the most competitive finals in recent World Championship history.
Despite his brilliance, he placed fourth — just 0.05 seconds behind Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba, who claimed bronze in 47.06s.
The gold medal went to American superstar Rai Benjamin, who produced a dominant run of 46.54s to reaffirm his status as the event’s leading force. Brazil’s Alison dos Santos claimed silver in 46.84s, while Samba’s late push denied Nathaniel a place on the podium.
Norway’s legendary Karsten Warholm, a former Olympic champion and world record holder, trailed behind Nathaniel, further underscoring the Nigerian’s meteoric rise on the global stage.
Nathaniel’s near-podium finish is Nigeria’s best performance in the men’s 400m hurdles at the World Championships and the closest the nation has come to a medal in track events since Francis Obikwelu’s silver in the men’s 200m at Seville 1999.
Though he missed out on history by the slimmest of margins, Nathaniel’s run has rekindled hope for Nigerian athletics, proving that the country can still produce world-class athletes capable of challenging the very best.
Ezekiel Nathaniel’s journey to this moment has been nothing short of inspirational.
A standout talent from his teenage years, Nathaniel first made headlines in 2022 when he broke Henry Amike’s long-standing Nigerian 400m hurdles record as a 19-year-old.
Since then, he has steadily improved, cementing his place as one of Africa’s brightest track prospects.
Training in the United States while proudly flying the Nigerian flag, Nathaniel has shown resilience, discipline, and consistency — qualities that propelled him to the global stage in Tokyo.
His performance not only validates his potential but also signals a new era for Nigerian athletics in the hurdles.
At just 21, Nathaniel’s best years are still ahead of him. With the Paris 2025 Diamond League series and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics on the horizon, his Tokyo heroics may well be a springboard for greater achievements.
Nigerian fans and athletics enthusiasts across Africa will be eagerly watching to see if he can turn his record-breaking promise into future podium finishes.
For now, though, Ezekiel Nathaniel leaves Tokyo with no medal but with history made, records shattered, and dreams still burning bright.
Sedara Philip is a Sports writer, an administrator,Journalist,and editor
