Nigeria’s Ezekiel Nathaniel narrowly missed out on a medal in the men’s 400m hurdles final in Tokyo but left the track with pride after setting a new national record of 47.11 seconds.
The 21-year-old, who started his career as an 800m runner, said his performance was proof of greater things to come. “I still have a lot of potential. I am pleased because I did my best and I ran a personal record,” Nathaniel said. “I hope this performance will inspire young Nigerian athletes. This is a great opportunity to learn from the world’s best.”
Nathaniel finished just outside the medals in fifth place, behind Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba, who claimed bronze in 47.06. Brazil’s Alison Dos Santos, the 2022 world champion, took silver in 46.84, while Norway’s Karsten Warholm, chasing a fourth world crown, ended in a disappointing fifth in 47.58.
The gold medal went to Olympic champion Rai Benjamin of the United States, who finally clinched his first world title after winning two silvers and a bronze in the past. He crossed the line in 46.52 seconds but faced a scare after being briefly disqualified for hitting the last hurdle and affecting other athletes.
World Athletics later overturned the decision after an appeal, restoring Benjamin as champion. “It feels great. I am glad I finally got the job done,” the 28-year-old said. “I think I did a good job. Unfortunately, I got really greedy in the end and that’s why I hit the last hurdle.”
Nathaniel, who had to wait during the review, said he had no complaints about the outcome. “It’s a fair call. He didn’t deliberately knock over the hurdle, that could happen to anyone,” he said.
Despite missing out on the podium, Nathaniel’s new Nigerian record confirms his status as one of the fastest rising stars in world athletics.