Nigeria’s Ezekiel Nathaniel came agonisingly close to making history at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, but a dramatic turn of events denied him a first-ever medal for the country in the men’s 400m hurdles.
The 21-year-old, competing in his first global final, produced the race of his life, clocking 47.11 seconds to set a new Nigerian national record. Initially, it seemed enough to earn him bronze after America’s Rai Benjamin, who crossed the line first in 46.54 seconds, was disqualified for a lane infringement following contact with the final hurdle.
Nathaniel was briefly upgraded to third place, sparking excitement among Nigerian fans who believed the long wait for a medal in the event had finally ended. Brazil’s Alison dos Santos had taken silver in 46.84 seconds, with Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba third in 47.05 seconds.
But Team USA immediately lodged an appeal, and Benjamin’s disqualification was overturned. The reinstatement restored him as the gold medalist, Dos Santos dropped back to silver, Samba to bronze, and Nathaniel was pushed back into fourth place — just 0.06 seconds short of a medal.
The incident has stirred controversy, with Benjamin’s collision at the last hurdle moving it into Nathaniel’s path. “That seems insane, he didn’t hit it on purpose, it didn’t affect the standings of the race, I think it’s very unfair,” said former heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill on BBC Sport. Hurdling great Colin Jackson added, “That trail leg has got to go over the barrier completely.”
Despite the heartbreak, Nathaniel’s performance remains historic. He not only broke his own national record but also became the first Nigerian to reach a World Championships final in the 400m hurdles since Henry Amike in 1987.
Meanwhile, Norway’s race favourite Karsten Warholm endured a frustrating outing, finishing fifth after struggling with a leg strain and crashing into a hurdle. “I tried to push but it was just a terrible race,” he admitted.
Benjamin, who won by 0.32 seconds despite the hurdle clash, later celebrated with American teammate Jasmine Jones, who claimed silver in the women’s 400m hurdles.
