Ezekiel grabs $10,000, Onwuzurike $1,000 at Diamond League Final!

Reigning NCAA 400m hurdles champion and Nigerian record holder (47.31), Ezekiel Nathaniel, finished third in his first Diamond League Final appearance during his debut season in World Athletics’ elite one-day meeting series.

The 22-year-old ran 47.56 seconds behind world record holder Karsten Warholm, who set a new meeting record of 46.70 seconds, and Qatari athlete Abdelrahman Samba (47.45).

For his effort, Ezekiel was paid $10,000 in prize money, $3,000 more than he would have received if the 400m hurdles had not been classified as a Diamond+ discipline in Zurich.

The Nigerian 400m barrier runner has now earned $20,000 in his first Diamond League season, made up of the $4,000 he won for placing third on his debut in Eugene, $6,000 for finishing second in Silesia, and $10,000 in Zurich for placing third.

The 400m hurdles was not a Diamond League event in Lausanne, where the Nigerian came first, and his earnings there were not specified.

Conversely, Udodi Onwuzurike was rewarded with a paycheck of just $1,000 for finishing eighth in the 200m final (20.54) in Zurich. This could have been $2,000 if his event had been classified as a Diamond+ discipline in Zurich.

Overall, the 22-year-old has earned $5,000 in his first Diamond League season, made up of the $4,000 he won for placing third in Brussels and the $1,000 he earned in the final for finishing eighth.

This earning excludes any appearance fees paid the athletes and what should accrue to them from their kits and other sponsors.