Nigerian sprinters Samuel Ogazi and Edidiong Udo have secured their places in the men's 400 metres final at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, following impressive performances in their respective semifinal races on Thursday.
Men's 400m Semifinals
Ogazi dominated the first semifinal, storming to victory in a commanding time of 44.52 seconds. He finished comfortably ahead of Botswana's Lee Eppie, who posted 45.26 seconds, and Jamaica's Zandriom Barnes, who completed the race in 45.38 seconds. The time ranks as one of the fastest in the Commonwealth this season and positions Ogazi as a strong medal contender for the final.
Running out of lane eight in the second semifinal, Udo delivered a composed execution to clock 45.53 seconds. Although initially crossing the line in third place, he was elevated to second after Jamaica's Antonio Watson was disqualified for a lane infringement. The disqualification handed Udo an automatic qualifying spot, much to the delight of the Nigerian contingent at the Scotstoun Stadium.
Women's 400m Semifinals
In the women's 400 metres, Patience Okon-George and Esther Joseph missed out on a spot in the final after placing fifth and sixth respectively in the first semifinal heat. Okon-George posted a time of 53.21 seconds, finishing just ahead of Joseph's 53.26 seconds. Both athletes were unable to match the pace of the leaders, with the heat winner clocking 50.88 seconds. The result ends Nigeria's hope of a medal in the women's one-lap event at these Games.
Amusan's Historic Run
In the women's 100 metres hurdles, Tobi Amusan made a powerful statement by recording the fastest time ever run at the Commonwealth Games. Storming through her heat in 12.19 seconds, aided by a +3.8 m/s tailwind (above the legal limit of +2.0 m/s for record purposes), Amusan comfortably advanced to the final ahead of South Africa's Marione Fourie (12.50s) and Jamaica's Kerrica Hill (12.69s). Despite the wind assistance preventing the time from being ratified as a Games record, the performance underscores Amusan's formidable form as she aims to defend her Commonwealth title from Birmingham 2022.
The Nigerian team will now look to Ogazi and Udo to deliver in the men's 400m final, while Amusan seeks to add another gold to her collection in the hurdles final, scheduled for later this week.
