Nathaniel out of Nanjing 2025 World Indoor Championships 400m event!
Ezekiel Nathaniel will neither be making history at the World indoor championships as the first Nigerian in 28 years to win a 400m title in the event after Sunday Bada (now late) nor the first Nigerian since 2008 and third overall to be crowned World indoor champion.
Despite World Athletics listing Nathaniel in its final entry list for the Championships, the Nigerian’s name was conspicuosly missing in the start list for the event released Thursday by the organizers of the competition.
Nathaniel is the second fastest man over the distance behind American, Christopher Bailey so far this year and the athletics world was already anticipating an interesting battle for supremacy between the two men who have broken 45 seconds over the full lap distance so far this season.
As it is now, it is not certain if Nigeria will be presenting a team to the Championships as the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN, did not even deem it fit to release the same list it sent to World Athletics for registering the nine athletes whose names the international governing body, World Athletics published in its final entry list.
Nigeria has not won a medal in the championships since 2022 in Belgrade, Serbia where Ese Brume won the silver medal (6.85m) behind home girl, Ivan Vuleta who leapt a 7.06m world lead.
Prior to this edition, Nigeria has won a total of 12 medals made up of two gold (Bada and Olusoji Fasuba), seven silver and three bronze.
