How Ezekiel Nathaniel Made Commonwealth Games History for Nigeria
Ezekiel Nathaniel made history for Nigeria on Friday night, winning the men’s 400m hurdles gold medal at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games in a brilliant 48.47 seconds.
Nathaniel became the first Nigerian to win Commonwealth Games gold in the men’s 400m hurdles, beating England’s Jake Minshull, who took silver in 48.99, while Jamaica’s Assinie Wilson finished third in 49.22.
The Nigerian did not make the fastest start, but he gradually took control of the race. He was fourth after the first two hurdles before moving into the lead from the third hurdle and steadily increasing the gap on his rivals.
By the middle of the race, Nathaniel had established a clear advantage. He continued to run smoothly over the hurdles while Minshull and Wilson tried to stay with him.
The crucial moment came in the second half of the race.
Nathaniel maintained his rhythm while his closest challengers began to lose ground. By the final two hurdles, the Nigerian had built enough of a lead to make victory look increasingly certain.
He crossed the line in 48.47 seconds, winning by more than half a second and completing one of Nigeria’s most memorable moments in Glasgow.
Nathaniel also came remarkably close to the Commonwealth Games record of 48.05 seconds, set by South Africa’s LJ van Zyl in 2006. His winning time was just 0.42 seconds outside the 20-year-old record.
For Nathaniel, however, the record can wait.
The biggest prize was the gold medal, and with it, a place in Nigerian Commonwealth Games history.
