By Rosemary Ugiomoh
Ezekiel Nathaniel, a 22-year-old Nigerian athlete, is on a mission to shatter a 38-year drought for Nigeria in the 400m hurdles. The last time a Nigerian athlete qualified for the finals of an international meet in this event was in 1987, when Henry Amike made history. Now, Nathaniel is trying to break this jinx at the ongoing World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
Nathaniel has been making waves in the athletics world, showcasing his impressive skills in the 400m hurdles. 
He won his heat in the men’s 400m hurdles at the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships with a time of 48.37 seconds, securing automatic qualification for the semifinals. This performance ranked him 10th overall among the qualifiers, demonstrating his potential to compete with the best.
Finished 10th overall in the heats with a time of 48.37 seconds
Ranked 5th in the world for the 400m hurdles, with a personal best of 47.31 seconds set during the Silesia Diamond League
Nathaniel will compete in the second semifinal today, where he’ll face stiff competition from athletes like:
Malik James-King (Jamaica) with a personal best of 47.42 seconds
Ismail Doudai Abakar (Qatar)
Caleb Dean(USA), who finished second in Nathaniel’s heat
Wiseman Were Mukhobe (Kenya)
Oskar Edlund (Sweden)
The top two athletes in each semifinal heat will advance to the final, scheduled for Friday, September 19, at 1:15 p.m. Nathaniel’s determination to break the 38-year jinx and make Nigeria proud once again is palpable. He’s not intimidated by the presence of the ‘Big 3’ in the event – Karsten Warholm, Rai Benjamin, and Alison dos Santos. In fact, Nathaniel has thrown down the gauntlet, warning them to “be ready”.
With his impressive performance and confidence, Nathaniel is certainly an athlete to watch in the 400m hurdles.
