Nathaniel Ezekiel Sends World Statement With 47.37 in 400m Hurdles Opener
Nigeria’s Nathaniel Ezekiel has sent a powerful statement to the athletics world, running an incredible 47.37 seconds to win on his 400m hurdles debut in 2026.
The 22-year-old, who clocked 47.11 last season, just 0.01 seconds shy of Samuel Matete’s African record, has shown he is ready to continue where he left off in 2025.
Ezekiel, who finished fourth at the Tokyo World Athletics Championships, has been absent from the Diamond League circuit this year and will only get the chance to compete when the event features in London on July 18, as he is not registered for the Bislett Games in Oslo on June 10.
His 47.37 performance marks his 11th career race inside 48 seconds and his third fastest ever. It also stands as the third fastest time in the world this year, behind Alison Dos Santos (46.72) and world record holder Karsten Warholm (46.82).
The focus now shifts to whether Ezekiel can become the first Nigerian, and indeed the first African man, to run inside 47-seconds in the low hurdles.
In the women’s 400m hurdles, Nigeria-born Bahraini athlete Kemi Adekoya produced a season’s best of 53.71 to set a new facility record on her way to victory. She finished ahead of Ashley Miller (54.08) and Shammier Little (54.15).
Meanwhile, in the women’s 100m, Nigeria’s Rosemary Chukwuma placed fifth in 11.06 seconds. The race was won by 19-year-old Jamaican Sabrina Dockery, who stormed to a lifetime best of 10.92. Canadian Audrey Leduc finished second in 10.97, while another Jamaican, Jordean Williams, also clocked 10.97 to take third.
