Nigeria’s Ezekiel Nathaniel lit up the Silesia Diamond League in Poland with a stunning performance in the men’s 400m hurdles, breaking his own national record, while Tobi Amusan and Favour Ofili added podium finishes to cap a strong outing for Team Nigeria.

At the 12th leg of the prestigious series, Nathaniel clocked 47.31s to place second behind Olympic champion and world record holder Karsten Warholm of Norway, who stormed to victory in 46.28s a world lead and meet record.

The 21-year-old Nigerian shaved nearly two-tenths off his previous mark of 47.49s, set barely two months ago at the NCAA Division I finals in Oregon. However, his late start to the professional circuit proved costly, as he ends the qualification campaign ranked ninth with 13 points, just one place shy of the top eight needed to reach the Diamond League final in Zurich.

Amusan, meanwhile, secured third place in a loaded women’s 100m hurdles field, clocking 12.25s behind Americans Masai Russell (12.19s) and Tonea Marshall (12.24s). Already assured of a spot in Zurich, thanks to her earlier performances, the Nigerian world record holder sits second in the standings with 23 points and remains firmly in the hunt for a record fourth Diamond Trophy.

In the women’s 200m, Ofili impressed with a 22.25s run to finish third behind Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson (22.17s) and American Brittany Brown (22.21s). Despite her strong finish, Ofili’s late entry into the circuit leaves her 13th overall with six points, ending her Diamond League campaign outside the qualification cut-off.

Nigeria’s Chukwuebuka Enekwechi also kept his Zurich hopes alive with a throw of 21.56m for seventh place in the men’s shot put. The event was won by American Payton Otterdahl (22.28m), with Italy’s Leonardo Fabbri and Joe Kovacs of the US completing the podium.

Enekwechi remains seventh in the qualification standings with 11 points and will have one final opportunity at the Lausanne leg to cement his place in Zurich.

With Amusan the only Nigerian guaranteed a finals spot, and Enekwechi still battling, the Diamond League now heads to Lausanne for its last qualifying round before the grand finale in Zurich on August 27–28, where the season’s most consistent performers will compete for the prestigious Diamond Trophy and a share of the $2.24m prize purse.