Ezekiel Powers to Nigeria’s First 400m Hurdles Gold, Onwuzurike Adds 200m Silver

Nigeria’s Nathaniel Ezekiel confirmed his place as one of the best quarter-mile hurdler here in Glasgow last night as he stormed to the men’s 400m hurdles gold of the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Nathaniel hit the finish line in 48.47secs to win the gold while England’s Jake Minsull who clocked 48.99 settled for the silver medal. Jamaica’s Assinine Wilson took the consolatory bronze medal with 49.22.

The win by Ezekiel was a welcome relief for Team Nigeria officials who were worried that their projection of winning 16 gold medals here in Glasgow was slipping away. Nigeria won 12 gold medals at the last Games in Birmingham.

In the men’s 200m final Udodi Onwuzurike won another silver medal for Nigeria with a season best time of 20.09 in the race won by South African Sinesipho Dambile with 19.96secs. Jamaica’s Christopher Taylor (20.11) won the bronze.

Earlier on Wednesday and Thursday, three of the gold medal projections slipped as favourite sprinter for the men’s 100m gold, Kanyinsola Ajayi could only manage to pick the bronze medal. World record holder in the women’s 100m hurdles, Tobi Amusan also failed to win the gold as poor start occasioned by a painful toe made her settle for the silver while another projection of a gold medal in the para-weightlifting event, Roland Ezuruike, won silver.

Today in Glasgow, Team Nigeria will hope to increase the medals haul here when the country’s mixed 4x400m relay quartet of Edidiong Udo, Esther Joseph, Samuel Ogazi and Patience Okon-George run in the final of the event.

In the heat yesterday, the Nigerian quartet stormed to victory with 3 mins: 14.58secs, to set the event’s first-ever Commonwealth Games record.

Team Nigeria officials are banking on this quartet to deliver on their promise.

In the field events, Ruth Usoro, who booked her place in the women’s Long Jump final today with a leap of 6.77m on her first attempt during qualifying round has promised to emulate Ese Brume who won the precious gold medal in Birmingham four years ago.

However, former African track queen, Mary Onyali, told THISDAY last night that the projection was not out of place as the athletes brought her by Team Nigeria had the capacity to win the country’s best outing.

“The projection was not wrong. It was based on the forms of the athletes that were listed for the gold medals.”

While speaking from experience as an Olympic bronze medalist, the former African champion stressed that other vagaries happen on competition day to deny an athlete the expected medal.

“We all saw how Kanyinsola (Ajayi) swept through the American NCAA as well as the World Athletics Diamond League. He was the favourite to win the gold here in Glasgow but couldn’t. Same with Tobi Amusan in the 100m hurdles who as world record holder also settled for a bronze. These things happen in track and field,” concludes Onyali.