Ezekiel Nathaniel has set a Nigerian record with a time of 47.11 seconds to finish fourth in the men’s 400 meters hurdles final at the Tokyo 2025 World Championships.
The 22-year-old came close to a historic podium, missing out by just 0.05 seconds on becoming Nigeria’s first male World Championship medalist since Francis Obikwelu in 1999.
The race was not without drama. After an initial protest temporarily elevated Nathaniel to the bronze medal position, Rai Benjamin of the United States, who crossed the line first in 46.54 seconds (SB), was reinstated as the winner. Benjamin had knocked down the last hurdle, but it was adjudged to have been legal.
With the reinstatement, Alison dos Santos of Brazil secured silver in 46.84 seconds, Abderrahman Samba of Qatar claimed bronze in 47.06 seconds (SB), while Nathaniel’s run earned him fourth place in a new Nigerian record (NR). Olympic champion Karsten Warholm of Norway finished 5th in 47.21 seconds.
Speaking after the race, Nathaniel reflected on the effort it took to reach this stage at the Tokyo 2025 World Championships and defended Rai Benjamin following the brief disqualification controversy.
In his words:
“That man actually put in a lot of work for that. Everybody came out to actually put a lot of work. If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.”
Though just outside the medals, Nathaniel’s performance confirmed his rapid rise on the global stage and gave Nigeria reason for optimism about the future.
