Ezekiel Nathaniel Makes History With World Championships 400m Hurdles Final Spot

Nigerian hurdler Ezekiel Nathaniel continued his breakthrough season at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, producing one of the standout performances of the day to secure his place in the men’s 400m hurdles final.

Nathaniel won his semifinal in a time of 47.47 seconds, the fastest mark of the round, and in doing so became the first Nigerian man to reach a World Championships final in the event since Henry Amike in 1987.

Nathaniel’s route to the final was built on measured, confident racing. He opened the championships by winning his first-round heat in 48.37 seconds, a controlled run that secured automatic qualification to the semis. In Tokyo’s semifinal he produced a more aggressive performance, powering home in 47.47 seconds to outpace his rivals and stamp himself a genuine medal contender.

A season of records and rapid progression

This result caps a banner 2025 campaign for the 22-year-old. Over the year, Nathaniel has repeatedly lowered the Nigerian national mark in the 400m hurdles and posted eye-catching flat-400 times indoors, including an African indoor record in the 400m, establishing himself among the world’s elite in the event.

He won NCAA titles and collected conference honours for Baylor University before turning professional this year, and recently signed with the Swiss running brand On.

Raised in Delta State, Nathaniel developed through the Nigerian sprint and hurdles pipeline before moving to the United States for collegiate competition. At Baylor, he became a multi-time NCAA medallist and set program and national records, finishing his collegiate career with multiple top-ten all-time marks in the 400m hurdles.

That strong collegiate pedigree has translated into consistent international progression, with Olympic and World Championship semifinal appearances now rising to finals-level results.

What this means for Nigeria

Nathaniel’s appearance in the final restores Nigerian presence to a discipline where the country has not had a World Championship finalist for nearly four decades. Beyond national pride, his runs this season — and particularly the 47.47 seconds in Tokyo — place him in the conversation for podium contention and give Nigeria a legitimate hope of a breakthrough medal in the men’s 400m hurdles.

With the final still to come, Nathaniel arrives as one of the championship’s in-form hurdlers. If he repeats or improves on his semifinal time, he could challenge the season’s best performers and produce a landmark result for Nigerian athletics. For now, his Tokyo run is confirmation of a rising star who has moved from national record-breaker to genuine global finalist.