In Tokyo, under the bright lights of the World Athletics Championships, a tall Nigerian in green stormed across the finish line, clocking 47.11 seconds in the men’s 400m hurdles final. For a moment, it felt like the impossible was about to happen, a medal for Nigeria in an event where we hadn’t even seen a finalist in nearly four decades. He missed bronze by the slimmest of margins, but what Ezekiel Nathaniel achieved that night was bigger than a medal. He smashed his own national record, etched his name into history, and announced himself as one of the world’s fastest hurdlers.
And here’s the kicker, he’s only 22. The so-called “new guy in the game” has already broken barriers, broken records, and broken into conversations once reserved for global track legends. But beyond the stopwatch and the headlines, who really is Ezekiel Nathaniel?
Family & Early Days
Ezekiel Nathaniel’s story starts in Delta State, where he was born in June 2003. Athletics wasn’t exactly foreign territory for him, it runs in the family. His brother Samson has worn the Nigerian colours on the Olympic stage, Jeremiah is a promising sprinter, and his sister Glory once flew the flag in the 400m hurdles at the Commonwealth Games. In other words, competition was part of everyday life.
But Ezekiel’s own path began a little differently. Back in 2019, he showed up at the track and was quickly told he didn’t quite have the raw sprint speed coaches were looking for. What he did have was endurance. That’s when someone suggested the 400m hurdles and it clicked. With the Buka Tigers Athletics Club in Ijebu Ode, he began to shape his craft.
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Baylor University & Freshman Explosion
By January 2022, Ezekiel had swapped Ijebu Ode for Waco, Texas, joining Baylor University after catching attention at the World U20 trials. It didn’t take long for him to make a statement. In his very first season, he stormed to a 48.42 in the 400m hurdles at the Big 12 Championships. Not only did he win the title but also smashed a Nigerian record that had stood untouched since 1987, when Henry Amike set it.
That run didn’t just put his name on the map; it catapulted him into the World Athletics Championships, where he reached the semifinals on debut. For a teenager fresh into college sports, it was a serious breakthrough. Suddenly, Nigeria had a new name to watch in the 400m hurdles. And the best part? That was just year one.
Climbing the Ranks – NCAA, Olympics, and Records
If 2022 was the breakout, the next few years proved Ezekiel wasn’t just a one-hit wonder. In 2023, he lined up at the World Championships in Budapest and made the semifinals; another sign that his consistency was matching his talent. By the following year, he was on the biggest stage of them all: the Paris 2024 Olympics. He reached the semifinals in the hurdles and even doubled up in the men’s 4x400m relay. Not bad for a first Olympic outing.
Then came 2025, the year everything seemed to click. He opened with an African indoor record of 44.74 in the 400m flat, one of the fastest times ever run indoors worldwide. Months later, he was crowned NCAA Outdoor Champion in the hurdles with 47.49 and capped it off by being named NCAA Track Athlete of the Year. For context? That puts him in the same conversation as Baylor legend Jeremy Wariner.
Breaking More Records in 2025
If 2024 was Ezekiel’s warm-up, 2025 was the year he went full throttle. He started strong on the Diamond League circuit — bronze at the Prefontaine Classic, then a huge runner-up finish in Poland with a 47.31 that set a new Nigerian record. A few weeks later, he took a big win in Lausanne at the Athletissima, showing he could beat some of the world’s best on any given day.
By August, he added a third-place finish at the Diamond League Final in Zurich to cap off a stacked season.
And then came Tokyo. In the men’s 400m hurdles final at the World Championships, Ezekiel clocked 47.11 seconds. Another national record. He finished just outside the medals in fourth, but the run was historic: Nigeria’s first finalist in the event in 38 years.
Afterward, he summed it up simply: “I hope this performance inspires young Nigerians.”
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His Style & Philosophy
At 6’4”, Ezekiel’s frame gives him a natural stride advantage in the 400m hurdles. Add his endurance background, and you get an athlete built for the event.
But he doesn’t act like someone who has “arrived.” He often calls himself the “new guy in the game,” reminding people he’s still learning. His approach is simple: patience, resilience, and enjoying the process. Faith and discipline keep him grounded, while humility makes him relatable. For him, every race is less about pressure and more about progress.
The scary part? Ezekiel Nathaniel is just 22. His target is clear: bring home Nigeria’s first global medal in the men’s 400m hurdles. Along the way, he’s aiming for more NCAA titles, consistency on the Diamond League circuit, and ultimately, the LA 2028 Olympics. He’s also broadening Nigeria’s athletics story — showing it’s not just about sprinting or hurdles, but also about the grueling quarter-mile hurdles. And he’s just getting started.
Carrying The Baton Forward
Ezekiel Nathaniel’s story is about breaking records, but also breaking limits. From Delta State to Texas, from a teenager at Buka Tigers to the world stage. Nigeria waited 38 years for another 400m hurdles finalist — and now he’s here, carrying the baton forward.
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