Ezekiel Nathaniel has etched his name into Nigerian athletics history after delivering a stunning performance in the men’s 400m hurdles final at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.
The 21-year-old ran a blistering 47.11 seconds to set a new national record, narrowly missing out on a medal but finishing fourth in what was one of the most competitive finals of the championship.
His qualification for the final had already been historic, as Nathaniel became the first Nigerian man since Henry Amike in 1987 to reach the 400m hurdles World Championships final. That achievement alone placed him in elite company, but his performance in the final has elevated his status even further.
The race was fiercely contested from the gun. Nathaniel exploded out of the blocks and maintained composure through the first 200 metres. By the time he hit the back straight, the Nigerian was in the thick of the chase, keeping stride with the likes of Benjamin, Dos Santos, and Samba. His aggressive approach showed that he was determined to leave nothing behind.
As the athletes approached the final bend, the pace intensified. Rai Benjamin of the United States surged ahead, even as he clipped the last hurdle.
Despite that stumble, Benjamin powered through to take gold in 46.52 seconds, a season’s best time. Brazil’s Alison Dos Santos followed closely in 46.84s for silver, while Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba clinched bronze with 47.06s.
Nathaniel crossed the line just fractions of a second later in 47.11s, finishing a heartbreaking 0.05 seconds outside the medals. Still, his performance not only set a new Nigerian record but also ranked as the highest placement by a Nigerian male athlete at the World Championships since 1999.
This year alone, Nathaniel has competed in 12 major championships, both indoor and outdoor. He became NCAA Outdoor Champion in the 400m hurdles, secured a place in the NCAA Top 10 All-Time, and was named a finalist for the prestigious Bowerman Award.
His performances on the Diamond League circuit further underscored his consistency. Nathaniel claimed top-three finishes in marquee meets in Prefontaine, Silesia, and Zurich, establishing himself as one of the most reliable hurdlers in the world this season.
The Nigerian’s time of 47.11s also places him among the top five in African history in the 400m hurdles.
Globally, he now sits inside the top five in the world rankings for 2025, a remarkable rise for an athlete who only broke onto the international scene in recent years.
While he fell just short of a podium finish in Tokyo, Ezekiel Nathaniel’s performance has opened a new chapter for Nigerian athletics. At just 21, he has time on his side, and with the form he has displayed, a World Championships medal, or even an Olympic one, may not be far away. For now, Nigeria can celebrate a record-breaking star who is firmly among the world’s elite.
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