Tokyo 2025: Ezekiel Nathaniel Shows Class, Reacts After Bronze Medal Drama in 400m Hurdles Final
- Nigeria’s Ezekiel Nathaniel praised Rai Benjamin and supported his reinstatement despite losing out on bronze
- The 22-year-old set a new Nigerian record with 47.11 seconds in the men’s 400m hurdles final
- Nathaniel becomes the first Nigerian in 37 years to make the final, signalling a new era for Nigerian hurdles
Nigeria’s Ezekiel Nathaniel may have missed out on a World Championships medal, but he left the track as a winner in the eyes of many fans.
The 22-year-old hurdler was at the centre of a rollercoaster in the men’s 400m hurdles final, where a dramatic disqualification and reinstatement changed the outcome, and his podium fate.
Source: Getty Images
According to Making of Champions, Nathaniel ran a blistering 47.11 seconds, breaking the Nigerian national record and finishing fourth in the race.
Initially, the result stood, but minutes later, World Athletics disqualified race winner Rai Benjamin of the United States for displacing a hurdle and interfering with another athlete’s run.
This decision promoted Nathaniel to bronze and gave Nigeria its second medal of the championships after Tobi Amusan’s silver in the women’s 100m hurdles.
But the joy was short-lived as Team USA quickly lodged an appeal against the decision by the officials, and Benjamin was reinstated as champion, taking back his gold medal, per Vanguard.
The reversal pushed Nathaniel back to fourth place, erasing what could have been Nigeria’s first-ever men’s 400m hurdles medal at the World Championships.
Nathaniel praises Benjamin despite losing medal
Despite the heartbreak for Nathaniel, the Nigerian hurdler’s reaction stole headlines.
Source: Getty Images
Speaking after the race, the 22-year-old expressed admiration for Benjamin’s performance and insisted the American deserved to keep his gold.
"That man actually put in a lot of work for that. He has put in a lot of work for that gold medal," Nathaniel said.
It was a rare moment of sportsmanship that resonated beyond Nigeria.
While a disqualification would have handed him bronze, Nathaniel refused to celebrate another athlete’s misfortune.
His comments struck a chord with fans, who praised his humility and maturity at just 22 years old.
Fans hail Nathaniel’s class reaction
Meanwhile, fans were quick to cheer Nathaniel up after his classy reaction to losing a bronze medal after acknowledging Rai Benjamin deserved to win the gold medal.
Pamela Taiye posted:
“His time will come. He's the future of the 400m hurdles obviously.”
Onlinesniper7 tweeted:
“All class, respect!”
Another fan posted:
“Classy response to a non-controversy.”
Another fan, Kyle tweeted:
“Class! His future is bright.”
History still made for Nigeria
Even without a medal, Nathaniel’s run marked a major step forward for Nigerian athletics.
His 47.11 broke a long-standing national record and made him the first Nigerian since 1987 to reach a 400m hurdles final at the World Championships.
Combined with Tobi Amusan’s silver medal, it signals a resurgence for Nigeria in track and field hurdles events.
Nathaniel’s performance will be remembered as one of Nigeria’s standout moments in this year’s championship.
With years ahead of him and a calm head under pressure, he has positioned himself as one of Africa’s brightest prospects heading into Paris 2025 and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
Nathaniel narrowly loses out on medal
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Nathaniel delivered a remarkable performance on the world stage, breaking Nigeria’s national record in the men’s 400m hurdles final with a time of 47.11 seconds.
Despite the record-breaking run, the 22-year-old narrowly missed out on a podium finish, placing fourth behind Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba, who clocked 47.06 seconds for bronze.
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Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
