Nathaniel: New Record, No Medal in 400m Hurdles Final
Despite finishing off the podium, Nathaniel expressed optimism. He said he hoped the performance would serve as inspiration for young Nigerian athletes and viewed the result as an opportunity to learn from the world’s best.
Nathaniel had earlier made headlines by becoming only the second Nigerian since Henry Amike in 1987 to reach the 400m hurdles final at the World Championships.
The Workplace Magazine earlier reported that Nathaniel clocked a time of 47.47 seconds to claim first place in Heat 2. He edged out Ismail Abakar of Qatar, who set a personal best of 47.61s, and the USA’s Caleb Dean, who finished in 47.85s. His time is the fastest among all semi-finalists.
The final was won by Rai Benjamin of the United States, who clocked 46.52 seconds to take gold. Brazil’s Alison Dos Santos ran 46.84 for silver, while Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba claimed bronze with 47.06. Nathaniel’s 47.11 left him agonisingly close to the medal positions.
Despite finishing off the podium, Nathaniel expressed optimism. He said he hoped the performance would serve as inspiration for young Nigerian athletes and viewed the result as an opportunity to learn from the world’s best.
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