Ogazi Runs 44.24 Split to Anchor Alabama to Second at Tiger Paw Invitational
Paris Olympics 400m finalist Samuel Ogazi produced a blistering anchor leg to power the University of Alabama to second place in the men’s 4x400m relay at the Tiger Paw Invitational in Clemson, South Carolina.
Ogazi, running the final leg with his team in third position, clocked an astonishing 44.24 split to drag Alabama into second place with a time of 3:02.29. Hosts South Carolina claimed victory in 3:00.86, setting a new season’s best and facility record, while the University of Miami finished third.
The Nigerian teenager was one of only four athletes to split 44 seconds at the meet, and his split was the fastest of the competition.
At just 19 years old, Ogazi appears to have rediscovered the form that earned him the NCAA outdoor 400m title in 2025.
He began 2026 with a lifetime best of 44.85 indoors, becoming only the second African man to break 45 seconds indoors.
That performance at the New Mexico Collegiate Classic earned him Southeastern Conference Men’s Runner of the Week honors, making him the third Alabama athlete in as many weeks to receive the recognition.
Ogazi’s 44.85 run also broke the facility record, ranked No. 3 on the world list (so far) this year, No. 14 all-time, and No. 2 in Alabama program history.
Ogazi has thus reaffirmed his status as one of the brightest young talents in global athletics, and his trajectory suggests more record-breaking performances lie ahead.
