●Udodi Onwuzurike in 200m semifinal
Nigeria’s Ezekiel Nathaniel wrote his name in the history books on Wednesday at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan, after racing into the men’s 400m hurdles final and breaking a record in the process.
The Nigerian record holder and NCAA Champion started well and maintained the lead crossing the line in 47.47 seconds to win Semifinal 2. His time was the fastest across all semifinal races, underlining his status as a strong medal contender in Thursday’s final.
The historic run makes Nathaniel the first Nigerian man to reach the 400m hurdles final at the World Championships since Henry Amike achieved the feat in 1987, thus ending a 38-year wait.
It was also a day to celebrate for Nigeria’s sprint sensation, Udodi Onwuzurike, who kicked off his campaign in the men’s 200m with a good run. The national champion clocked 20.27 seconds to finish second in his heat and secure automatic qualification for the semifinals.
He finished behind American star Kenneth Bednarek, who won in 19.98 seconds, while South Africa’s Sinesipho Dambile also clocked 20.27 to take third.
Dambile narrowly missed a disqualification after he was put on a quick check and adjusted to have passed the test. The initial start to the race was stopped when a judged signaled that he marginally beat the gun.
Extrasportnigeria 
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