Nigeria’s Ezekiel Nathaniel produced a record-breaking performance in the men’s 400m hurdles final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Friday, but narrowly missed out on a podium finish after placing fourth.
The 22-year-old clocked 47.11 seconds at the Tokyo National Stadium to improve on his own national record of 47.31 seconds, which he set on 16 August in Poland. Despite the remarkable feat, Nathaniel finished behind the trio of USA’s Rai Benjamin, who won gold in 46.52 seconds, Brazil’s Allison dos Santos with silver in 46.84, and Qatar’s Ismail Doudai Abakar, who clinched bronze in 47.00.
Running from lane six, Nathaniel endured a sluggish start but made a late surge in the final stretch to secure fourth place. The race ended in controversy when Benjamin was accused of interference after knocking a hurdle into a rival’s path. Nathaniel was briefly elevated to third place, but a successful American appeal overturned the decision, reinstating the original results and leaving Nathaniel in fourth.
Nathaniel’s appearance marked the end of Nigeria’s 38-year wait for a finalist in the men’s 400m hurdles at the World Championships. Although he left Tokyo without a medal, his run was historic and firmly established his name in Nigeria’s athletics records.
He was Nigeria’s last athlete in action at the championships, where the country finished with only one medal, Tobi Amusan’s silver in the women’s 100m hurdles. Nathaniel’s season, however, remains impressive, having also secured a bronze medal in the Diamond League Final on 28 August after reaching the semifinals of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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