Ogazi, after booking his place in the 400m final, becomes the first Nigerian athlete to achieve such feat in 36 years
By Kehinde Okeowo
Nigeria’s Samuel Ogazi on Tuesday night breezed into the men’s 400m final of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The 18-year-old dipped a personal best of 44.41 seconds to finish third in heat 3 of the men’s 400 meters semi-final
Great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith won the race in a time of 44.07s, while Michael Norman came in second in a time of 44.26s.
Ogazi, with the feat, becomes the first Nigerian athlete to qualify for the men’s 400m final in 36 years.
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Nigeria has not been represented in the event’s final at the games since Innocent Egbunike achieved the feat at Seoul 1988.
Egbunike finished fifth in the finale with 44.72 seconds.
Ogazi was based in Kaduna until he became a sprinting sensation in 2023 after a brilliant performance at the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) Golden League.
He won the men’s 400m of the event in 45.91 seconds.
The teenager holds the Nigerian under-18 record for the 400 metres after running 45.35 seconds in March.
He is a student at the University of Alabama in the Unites States.