2025 World Athletics Championship: Ezekiel Nathaniel qualifies for 400m hurdles semi -finals

The hope of ‘Team Nigeria’ reaching the final of another event at the ongoing World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan received a big boast on Day 3 of the global competition.

Thanks to Ezekiel Nathaniel’s
fine run in heat 5 of the men’s 400m hurdles event during the first sets of races in the evening session.

Ranked 5th in the world this year, the 22 year old Ezekiel Nathaniel, had his race under control and he stopped the clock at 48.37s, the 10th fastest time among the 5 heats in the 400m hurdles in the Japanese capital.

It is noteworthy to state that 6 athletes advanced to the semi- finals from heat 1 led by Abderrahman Samba of Qatar in a time of 48.03s.

Rai Benjamin, Matheus Lima, Tyri Donovan, Chris Robinson, Malik James-King, Wiseman Were Mukhobe, Emil Agyekum, Ismail Doudai Abakar, Bassem Hemeida and Alison Dos Santos all made it to the semi- final, 48 low.

Three other African hurdlers Wiseman Were Mukhobe of Kenya in 48.27s, Botswana duo of Victor Ntweng in a time of 48.54s and Kemorena Tisang in 48.72s advanced into the semi- final.

The 24 semi -finalists will be searching for 8 tickets from the three semi -final races on Wednesday.

In men’s long jump, young talented
Charles Edward Godfred, could not leap into the final as his third and final jump of 7.79 was .17cm off the last qualifier’s mark.

His first jump was no jump, while he leaped 7.35 in his second attempt before going for 7.79 in the third and final attempt which was too little, too short.