1 month ago
4
Nigerian athlete, Samuel Ogazi, who won a bronze medal at the African Senior Athletics Championships, has advanced to the semi-finals of the men’s 400m event at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Samuel Ogazi’s achievement marks the first time in 24 years that a male Nigerian quarter-miler has reached this stage at the Olympics.
Ogazi demonstrated an outstanding performance, clocking a new personal best of 44.50s in his heat, securing an automatic spot in the semi-finals. His heat was won by USA’s Quincy Hall with a time of 44.28s.
Recall that Ogazi, a University of Alabama undergraduate, became the second fastest Nigerian in the 400m in 37 years, setting a new school record with a time of 44.17s in the final of the men’s 400m at the SEC Outdoor Championships in May.
Meanwhile, Ogazi’s compatriot and African Games champion, Chidi Okezie, will have another opportunity to reach the semis through the repechage event.
In the men’s 400m qualifiers, Okezie narrowly missed an automatic spot in the first heat, finishing fourth with a time of 45.52s. The race was won by Great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith in 44.78s, with USA’s Chris Bailey coming in second at 44.89s, and Norway’s Havard Inngvaldsen securing the third spot with a time of 45.46s.
Despite missing out on automatic qualification, Okezie, who recently clinched his first-ever gold medal for Nigeria at the African Games in Ghana, remains poised to compete for a spot in the semi-finals at the Stade de France on Monday.
English (US) ·