Nigeria’s Ezekiel Nathaniel delivered a historic performance on Friday, winning gold in the men’s 400-metre hurdles at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
The 23-year-old clocked 48.47 seconds at Scotstoun Stadium to become the first Nigerian to win the event at the Commonwealth Games.
Nathaniel dominated the race from start to finish, comfortably beating England’s Jake Minshull, who claimed silver after finishing in under 49 seconds. Jamaica’s Assinie Wilson secured the bronze medal.
The victory also surpasses Nigeria’s previous best performance in the event, achieved by Kingsley Agbabokha, who won silver at the 1996 Commonwealth Games when the race was contested as the 440-yard hurdles.
Nathaniel’s triumph also marks Nigeria’s first track-and-field gold medal at the Glasgow 2026 Games.
Earlier in the competition, world record holder Tobi Amusan settled for bronze in the women’s 100m hurdles, while Kanyinsola Ajayi also earned bronze for Team Nigeria.
Nigeria’s medal tally received another boost in the men’s 200 metres, where Udodi Onwuzurike produced a season-best performance to claim silver.
The 23-year-old finished in 20.09 seconds, narrowly ahead of Jamaica’s Christopher Taylor, who took bronze in 20.11 seconds.
South Africa’s Sinesipho Dambile won the race in 19.96 seconds to secure the gold medal.
Onwuzurike impressed with a strong bend before holding off Taylor in the closing metres to secure Nigeria’s second medal of the day.
Nathaniel’s historic gold and Onwuzurike’s silver continue Nigeria’s impressive athletics campaign at the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Further strengthening the country’s medal haul in Glasgow.
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