By Atoyebi Nike
Nigeria’s rising 400m hurdles sensation, Ezekiel Nathaniel, has once again rewritten his nation’s record books, running 47.11 seconds in the men’s final at the Tokyo 2025 World Championships. Despite the career-best performance, he narrowly missed out on a medal, finishing fourth.
The dramatic race initially saw American Rai Benjamin disqualified for a lane infringement, briefly elevating Nathaniel into bronze position. However, Benjamin’s successful appeal was upheld, securing him the gold medal. Brazil’s Alison dos Santos took silver in 46.84 seconds, while Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba earned bronze in 47.06 seconds.
Nathaniel’s time not only secured him fourth place but also shattered his own Nigerian record of 47.31 seconds, which he had set earlier in 2025 at the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial in Poland.
Born in 2003, Nathaniel competes for Baylor University in Texas. Since bursting onto the scene in 2022, when he broke Henry Amike’s long-standing 1987 record with 48.42 seconds, Nathaniel has consistently raised the bar. In June 2025, he won the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 47.49 seconds, the third-fastest time in NCAA history. He also became the first man to run sub-48 seconds in an NCAA 400m hurdles semifinal, clocking 47.86 seconds.
Nathaniel’s steady rise has drawn widespread praise, with athletics observers hailing his Tokyo performance as a turning point for Nigerian track and field.
