Ezekiel Nathaniel: Nigerian hurdler eyes future after Tokyo heroics
Nigeria’s 400m hurdles sensation Ezekiel Nathaniel has set his sights on inspiring the next generation of athletes after a record-breaking performance at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, where he narrowly missed out on a medal. The 22-year-old ran a blistering 47.11 seconds in Friday’s final, smashing his own national record of 47.31 seconds set earlier this year. His run made him only the second Nigerian—after Henry Amike in 1987—to reach the 400m hurdles final at a World Championships. “I hope this performance will inspire young Nigerian athletes,” Nathaniel told Saturday PUNCH after the dramatic final. “This is a great opportunity to learn from the world’s best.” The race drama The final was not without controversy. American Rai Benjamin stormed to victory in 46.52 seconds, clinching his first world title after years of near misses. However, he was briefly disqualified […]