As Team Nigeria continues to shine at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, the nation’s athletes have achieved significant milestones.
National Record Holder Ezekiel Nathaniel broke a 12-year drought by qualifying for the men’s 400m hurdles semifinals, while Samuel Ogazi ended a 16-year jinx by advancing to the semifinals in the men’s 400m.
Nathaniel, who is the first Nigerian in over a decade to reach the 400m hurdles semifinals at the Olympics, secured his place by finishing 2nd in heat 4 with a time of 48.32 seconds, earning an automatic spot. The last Nigerian to achieve this was Amaechi Morton at the London 2012 Olympics.
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Nathaniel , according to Making of Champions, has been having a fantastic season, from bettering his National Record (NR) to qualifying for the Olympics and winning Bronze at the NCAA Championships.
He had an impressive run from lane 3 to place seconds in 48.38s, which is his fourth fastest time ever.
Jamaica’s Roshawn Clarke won the race in 48.17s, and Wilfried Happio took the last automatic spot in 48.42s
In the men’s 400m event, Samuel Ogazi ran a new personal best of 44.50 seconds, finishing second behind USA’s Quincy Hall, who won the race in 44.28 seconds. Ogazi’s impressive performance marked the first time in 16 years that a Nigerian male quarter-miler qualified for the 400m semifinals at the Olympics.