Nigeria’s Ezekiel Nathaniel broke the national record in men’s 400m hurdles final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, clocking 47.11 seconds to place fourth.
The 22-year-old missed out on a historic podium finish by a whisker, with Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba edging him to bronze in 47.06 seconds.
America’s Rai Benjamin won gold in 46.52, finally securing his first world title after two silvers and a bronze, while Brazil’s Alison dos Santos took silver in 46.84.
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World record holder Karsten Warholm of Norway faltered after clipping an early hurdle and finished fifth in 47.58.
Nathaniel’s run was not only a personal best but also a new national record, erasing the 47.10 he set earlier this season.
It also made him the first Nigerian man to reach a 400m hurdles final at the World Championships since Henry Amike achieved the feat in 1987 — ending a 38-year wait.
However, Benjamin who initially disqualified after crashing into the final hurdle appeared to stray into a neighbouring lane, though the decision was overturned following a U.S. team appeal.
Nathaniel accepted the ruling with calm professionalism.
“It’s a fair call,” he said. “He put in a lot of work to get that medal, and if they are trying to rip that away, I don’t think that’s fair. He didn’t deliberately knock over the hurdle — that could happen to anyone.”
The performance underlines Nathaniel’s rise as one of Africa’s brightest prospects in the event.
Despite falling just short of the medals, he left Tokyo with a record, a top-four finish, and the belief that Nigeria can challenge the world again in the hurdles.
In the women’s final, Dutch star Femke Bol defended her crown with a world-leading 51.54 seconds, ahead of the USA’s Jasmine Jones, who ran a personal best 52.08 for silver, and Slovakia’s Emma Zapletova, who set a national record of 53.00 to win bronze.
