In his Olympic debut, Samuel Ogazi has put Nigeria back on the map by qualifying for the men’s 400m finals marking the first time in 36 years, since the legendary Innocent Egbunike, that a Nigerian has reached this stage.
The 18-year-old delivered the performance of his life in a highly competitive semifinal, setting a new Personal Best (PB) of 44.41 seconds to secure third place and his spot in the final. This achievement makes Ogazi the first Nigerian 400m runner to reach an Olympic final since Egbunike did so at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
Ogazi has shown impressive talent for Nigeria this season, consistently demonstrating his potential as a future star with his rapid progression. He moved to the United States in January on a student-athlete scholarship at the University of Alabama and quickly made his mark on the collegiate outdoor circuit.
He surprised many by winning the NCAA silver medal, and then went on to earn a bronze medal at the African Championships. After that, he competed in a series of professional races in Europe to fine-tune his preparations for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
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