Alabama Coach Waters Praises Ogazi After Record-Breaking 44.02 Run
University of Alabama head coach Dan Waters hailed sprinter Samuel Ogazi after the Nigerian star produced a world-leading time in the men’s 400m at the Torrin Lawrence Memorial.
Waters described the performance as a landmark moment on a weekend Nigerian relay teams return to Word Athletics’ flagship event, the World Outdoor Championships after securing three of the six tickets on offer at the World Relays in Gaborone, Botswana.
‘Samuel’s performance was obviously a big highlight and that’s a significant mark both globally and nationally, especially in his season debut.’
Ogazi clocked 44.02 seconds, setting a Nigerian national record, a University of Alabama school record, and ranking as the seventh-fastest time in NCAA history.
The 21-year-old crossed the line alongside Georgia’s Jonathon Simms, who was awarded the win by just 0.005 seconds.
The Tide coach emphasized the broader impact of the meet.
‘This weekend was a good opportunity for us to close out the regular season and get some quality competition. We saw solid efforts across the board, and now our focus shifts to preparing for SEC Championships,’ he said.
