Posted by Samuel on Fri 19th Sep, 2025 - tori.ng
He was briefly hailed as a World Championship bronze medalist following the disqualification of American Rai Benjamin, the initial winner, for lane infringement.
Ezekiel Nathaniel, the Nigerian sprinter and 400 metres hurdler, has made history for Nigeria at the Tokyo 2025 World Championships.
He made history by setting a new national record in the men’s 400m hurdles with a blazing 47.11 seconds to finish fourth.
He was briefly hailed as a World Championship bronze medalist following the disqualification of American Rai Benjamin, the initial winner, for lane infringement.
However, after an appeal, Benjamin’s result was reinstated, returning him to the gold medal position and pushing Nathaniel back to fourth place.
Nathaniel’s 47.11 seconds was just 0.05 seconds shy of Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba, who took bronze in 47.06 seconds.
Benjamin’s reinstated winning time was 46.54 seconds, while Brazil’s Alison dos Santos claimed silver in 46.84 seconds.
Despite this, the 21-year-old Nathaniel’s performance solidifies his status among the world’s top hurdlers and sets a new standard for Nigerian athletics, fueling hopes for a future global podium finish.