Nigeria’s Ezekiel Nathaniel set a new national record in the men’s 400m hurdles final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, finishing fourth with a time of 47.11 seconds. The 22-year-old narrowly missed out on a podium finish, as Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba claimed bronze in 47.06 seconds. America’s Rai Benjamin took gold in 46.52, securing his first world title after multiple near misses, while Brazil’s Alison dos Santos won silver in 46.84.
World record holder Karsten Warholm of Norway clipped an early hurdle and placed fifth in 47.58. Nathaniel’s time erased the 47.10 he set earlier this season, marking a personal best and a new Nigerian record. He also became the first Nigerian man to reach a 400m hurdles final at the World Championships since Henry Amike in 1987, ending a 38-year wait.
The race had its share of drama, as Benjamin was initially disqualified for crashing into the last hurdle and appearing to stray into another lane, but the U.S. team successfully appealed the decision. Nathaniel accepted the ruling, saying it was fair and acknowledging Benjamin’s effort. His performance reinforced his status as one of Africa’s rising stars in athletics.
Although he missed the medals, Nathaniel left Tokyo with a record, a top-four finish, and renewed belief in Nigeria’s potential in the hurdles. In the women’s final, Femke Bol of the Netherlands defended her title with a world-leading 51.54 seconds, followed by the USA’s Jasmine Jones in 52.08 and Slovakia’s Emma Zapletova in 53.00, both setting personal and national records respectively.
Source : https://www.premiumtimesng.com/
