Nathaniel Seeks to Seal Diamond League Final Spot in Zurich
Commonwealth Games 400m hurdles champion Ezekiel Nathaniel will be out to confirm his place in the Wanda Diamond League final when he lines up at the Weltklasse meeting in Zurich on Thursday.
The Nigerian currently occupies the eighth and final qualifying position in the Diamond League standings with 10 points accumulated from two scoring appearances.
However, Nathaniel knows that finishing eighth may not be enough to secure a place in the final, as the position can sometimes be displaced by a wild-card athlete. He is therefore targeting a finish as high as fifth or sixth in Zurich to strengthen his position.
A seventh-place finish would also move the 23-year-old to 12 points, one more than the 11 points currently held by Bassit Trevor and Germany’s Emil Agyekum. Neither Trevor nor Agyekum is competing in Zurich, meaning Nathaniel would move ahead of both if he finishes seventh or higher.
Nathaniel is seeking to qualify for the Diamond League final for the second consecutive season after establishing himself among the leading 400m hurdlers on the circuit.
Meanwhile, African shot put record holder and Commonwealth Games champion Chukwuebuka Enekwechi will return to Diamond League action in Zurich after being confirmed for the meeting.
The 33-year-old is no longer in contention for a place in the Diamond League final, but will be looking to round off an impressive 2026 campaign on a high.
Enekwechi finally claimed the Commonwealth title at his third attempt and will now aim for another strong performance against the world’s leading shot putters in Zurich.
