Samuel Ogazi etched his name into Nigeria’s sporting history after winning the men’s 400 metres title at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
The 19-year-old delivered a dominant performance in Saturday’s final, crossing the finish line in 44.25 seconds to claim the gold medal ahead of Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richards, who finished in 44.82 seconds, while South Africa’s Zakithi Nene took bronze in 45.21 seconds.
Ogazi had signalled his title ambitions earlier in the competition by posting the fastest time in the opening semi-final, clocking 44.52 seconds to qualify comfortably for the final.
The triumph adds to what has been a remarkable year for the University of Alabama athlete. Before the Commonwealth Games, he rewrote Nigeria’s long-standing 400m record with a world-leading 44.02 seconds at the Torrin Lawrence Memorial in Athens, Greece, eclipsing the 44.17-second mark set by Innocent Egbunike in 1987.
He later improved that record to 43.95 seconds in May 2026, making it the fourth-fastest time ever recorded in the event and reinforcing his status as one of Africa’s brightest sprint talents.
Ogazi’s victory also ends Nigeria’s long wait for a Commonwealth Games men’s 400m title. Before his triumph, the country’s best performance in the event was Sunday Bada’s bronze medal at the 1994 Games.
