Ogazi Blazes Into SEC 400m Final with Fastest Qualifying Time

Nigeria’s Samuel Ogazi produced a commanding performance to qualify for the men’s 400m final at the SEC Indoor Track and Field Championships in Bryan-College Station, Texas.

The Paris 2024 Olympic finalist clocked 45.30 seconds, the fastest time of the qualifying rounds, to win his heat and secure a place in Saturday’s final.

Ogazi opened strongly, crossing the first 200m in 20.76 before finishing with a closing split of 24.54 to seal victory.

He finished ahead of Jonathan Simms, who ran 45.52 to take second place and set up a tantalizing showdown in the final.

Ogazi, who claimed silver at last year’s SEC Championships, will be aiming to upgrade to gold this time around.

The Nigerian sprinter holds a lifetime best of 44.85, set in January, while Simms has run even faster, with a 44.62 that briefly ranked him as the world leader.

Their clash promises to be one of the highlights of the championships.