Prefontaine Classic 2025: Can Nigeria’s Nathaniel Ezekiel disrupt the 400m hurdles elite?

The 50th Prefontaine Classic in Eugene is more than a celebration of track and field—it’s a proving ground. And in the men’s 400m hurdles, all eyes are on Nathaniel Ezekiel, Nigeria’s rising star, as he makes his Wanda Diamond League debut against the sport’s most dominant names.

The race headlines the latest installment of the Rai Benjamin vs. Alison dos Santos rivalry—their 13th career meeting—but Ezekiel’s presence introduces a compelling new dynamic. The 22-year-old arrives at Hayward Field with the fifth-fastest time in the world this year: a scorching 47.49s that earned him the NCAA title and shattered his own Nigerian record.

Ezekiel’s journey has been meteoric. In November 2020, he clocked 53.83s. By August 2021, he had slashed that to 49.89s, finishing fourth at the World U20 Championships in Nairobi—a performance that secured him a scholarship to Baylor University in Texas. Less than a year later, he dipped to 48.42s, and by 2024, he was consistently flirting with sub-48 territory.

Now in 2025, Ezekiel has broken 48 seconds four times, culminating in his 47.49s NCAA triumph—run on the very same Hayward Field track where he now returns as a professional. His consistency and progression have made him the first Nigerian male 400m hurdler to compete in the Diamond League since its inception in 2010.

The field in Eugene is stacked: Rai Benjamin leads the world with a 46.54s from Stockholm, Alison dos Santos remains a formidable force, and Abderrahman Samba brings veteran experience and a 46.98s personal best. But Ezekiel’s form, fearlessness, and familiarity with the track make him a legitimate threat—and a wildcard heading into the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September.

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