Nigeria’s Ezekiel Nathaniel has ended a 38-year wait by qualifying for the men’s 400m hurdles final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, raising hopes for a podium finish as the competition enters Day 6.

On Tuesday, the 22-year-old Nigerian record holder and NCAA champion ran a sensational race in the semifinals, taking charge early before crossing the line in 47.47 seconds to win Semifinal 2. His time was the fastest across all heats, confirming his status as a strong medal contender in Thursday’s final.

Nathaniel’s breakthrough marks the first time since Henry Amike in 1987 that a Nigerian man has reached the 400m hurdles final at the World Championships.

He was not the only Nigerian to shine on Day 5. Sprint star Udodi Onwuzurike began his men’s 200m campaign with a composed performance, clocking 20.27 seconds to finish second in his heat and advance automatically to the semifinals.

Onwuzurike finished behind American Kenneth Bednarek, who won in 19.98 seconds, while South Africa’s Sinesipho Dambile also crossed in 20.27 seconds to place third.

With Nathaniel blazing a historic trail in the hurdles and Onwuzurike advancing smoothly in the sprints, Nigerian fans have much to celebrate as the World Championships progress in Tokyo.

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