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African Senior Athletics Championships bronze medallist Samuel Ogazi is through to the semi-finals of the men’s 400m event of the Paris 2024 Olympics, becoming the first Nigerian male quarter-miler to do so at the Olympics in 24 years, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Ogazi ran a new personal best of 44.50s to book an automatic spot at the next stage after placing second in his heat, won by USA’s Quincy Hall in 44.28s.
To qualify for the Olympics, the University of Alabama undergraduate became the second fastest Nigerian over the 400m in 37 years and also smashed the school record with a time of 44.17s in the final of the men’s 400m at the SEC Outdoor Championships in May.
His compatriot and African Games champion, Chidi Okezie, will however go through the repechage event tomorrow for another chance to reach the semis.
Okezie almost nicked an automatic qualifying spot in the first heat, but he placed fourth with a time of 45.52s.
Great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith won the race in a time of 44.78s, with USA’s Chris Bailey finishing second in 44.89s. Norway’s Havard Inngvaldsen snatched the third spot from Okezie in 45.46s.
The 30-year-old Okezie will compete against others who missed out on the automatic spots at the Stade de France on Monday (today).
He won his first-ever gold medal for Nigeria at the African Games in Ghana in March.
Abiodun, who reports Sports for PUNCH, covers different tiers of the Nigerian football league, the national teams, as well as cricket, in the last six years
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