Ezekiel Nathaniel has etched his name into Nigerian athletics history, becoming the first Nigerian man in 38 years to qualify for a 400m hurdles final at the World Championships.

The 21-year-old stormed to victory in his semi-final on Wednesday, clocking an impressive 47.47 seconds, the fastest time across all heats. His performance saw him finish ahead of Qatar’s Ismail Doudai Abakar, who ran a personal best of 47.61s, while the United States’ Caleb Dean placed third in 47.85s.

Not since Henry Amike’s feat in 1987 has a Nigerian hurdler reached this stage of the competition, underlining the magnitude of Nathaniel’s achievement.

The semi-finals were packed with elite performances as Abderrahman Samba of Qatar (47.63s), Norway’s Karsten Warholm (47.72s), and USA’s Rai Benjamin (47.95s) also booked automatic qualification. Germany’s Emil Agyekum (47.83s) and Dean (47.85s) advanced on time, while Jamaica’s Malik James-King (48.01s, SB) and Brazil’s Alison Dos Santos (48.16s) completed the lineup for Friday’s final.

Speaking after his race, Nathaniel expressed pride and determination:

“I’m very proud of myself. The difference today is that I improved, and looking ahead to the final on Friday, September 19, I’m ready to give it everything it takes.”

With history already made, the young Nigerian will now turn his sights to a potential medal, carrying the hopes of a nation into the showdown.