Nathaniel Ezekiel says he is frustrated with his third-place finish in the 400 hurdles at the NCAA outdoor track and field championships, missing a silver medal by one-hundredth of a second.
The Nigerian was sure of mounting the podium as 2023 NCAA 400m hurdles champion and join Miles Ukaoma as the second Nigerian to win the title but he stumbled at the crucial moment in the race.
‘When I came off the ninth hurdle, I kind of lost my balance a little bit. I tried to recover, but the other guy (Robinson) came through,’ the Nigerian told his school, Baylor University’s website.
Coming off the final curve, Ezekiel had the lead and was clean through the eighth hurdle. But that mistake over hurdle No. 9 was too much to overcome.
Nathaniel says his goal was to join two-time NCAA 400-meter hurdles champion and Hall of Famer Bayano Kamani (1999 and 2001) at the top of the podium.
‘The goal was to win, because I feel like I’m stronger than anyone, without a doubt. I just know that I’m stronger than them. I tried my best to win, it just
didn’t happen.’
Alabama’s duo of Chris Robinson and Corde Long went 1-2 at 48.12 and 48.53, respectively, with Ezekiel third in 48.54.
