Team Nigeria continued its impressive charge at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Friday, adding gold and silver to maintain its place as Africa's best-performing nation. The latest medals came from the athletics track, where Ezekiel Nathaniel delivered a historic victory in the men's 400m hurdles, while Udodi Onwuzurike powered to silver in the men's 200m.
Nathaniel Makes History in 400m Hurdles
Nathaniel produced one of Nigeria's finest performances of the Games, storming to victory in a time of 48.47 seconds. He crossed the finish line well ahead of England's Jake Minshull, who took silver in 48.99 seconds, while Jamaica's Assinie Wilson claimed bronze in 49.22 seconds. The win secured Nigeria's ninth gold medal in Scotland and etched Nathaniel's name into the record books.
Having finished sixth on his Commonwealth Games debut in Birmingham four years ago, Nathaniel became the first Nigerian man to win Commonwealth Games gold in the 400m hurdles. His improvement underscores the depth of Nigeria's athletics programme and sets a new benchmark for hurdlers from the country.
Onwuzurike Delivers Silver in Men's 200m
Nigeria's second medal of the day came through Udodi Onwuzurike, who produced a determined run from lane eight to finish second in the men's 200m final. The 21-year-old clocked a season's best 20.09 seconds to take silver behind South Africa's Sinesipho Dambile, who won gold in 19.96 seconds. The result continues Nigeria's strong sprinting tradition, following Kayinsola Ajayi's bronze in the men's 100m earlier in the championships.
Onwuzurike's performance also strengthens Nigeria's medal prospects in relay events, as the team looks to build momentum heading into the final days of the Games.
Relay Team Impresses in Mixed 4x400m Heats
There was more good news on the track as Nigeria dominated the heats of the inaugural mixed 4x400m relay. The quartet of Edidiong Udo, Esther Elo Joseph, Samuel Ogazi and Patience Okon-George combined to clock 3:14.58, the fastest time of the heats, sending Nigeria into the final as the top qualifiers. The performance strengthens hopes of another podium finish as the athletics programme enters its decisive phase.
Positive Signs in Field Events
In the women's long jump qualification, Ruth Usoro required only one attempt to secure automatic qualification for the final. Her leap of 6.77m, a season's best, underlined Nigeria's growing medal prospects in the field events. Meanwhile, African champion Chinecherem Nnamdi finished 10th in the men's javelin final with a best throw of 76.29m.
Decathlete Jami Schlueter rounded off an impressive Commonwealth Games debut by placing seventh overall with 7,665 points. Schlueter had spent much of the two-day competition among the leading contenders after ending Day One in fourth position before eventually finishing inside the top eight. His effort adds to the encouraging signs across multiple disciplines for Nigeria.
Narrow Miss in Judo
In judo, Michael Agbo narrowly missed out on a medal after losing the men's 66kg bronze-medal contest to England's Michael Fryer. Despite the setback, Agbo's run to the bronze-medal match showcased the growing competitiveness of Nigerian judo on the international stage.
Nigeria Leads Africa on Medal Table
After Day Eight, Nigeria remains fifth overall in the Commonwealth Games with nine gold, six silver and three bronze medals (18 medals total). This places the country comfortably ahead of closest African rivals South Africa, who occupy seventh place with seven gold, nine silver and nine bronze medals.
Nigeria's nine gold medals have come from a variety of sports, including athletics, weightlifting and para sports, reflecting the team's depth and consistency. The gold medal winners so far are Esther Nworgu, Folashade Oluwafemiayo, Riluwan Idris, Edidiong Umoafia, Onome Didih, Rafiatu Folashade Lawal, Goodness Nwachukwu, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi and now Ezekiel Nathaniel.
The athletics team has also enjoyed a memorable championships, with medals from Nathaniel, Onwuzurike, Tobi Amusan, Temitope Adeshina, Kayinsola Ajayi and Jessica Oji. Several relay and field event finalists still have opportunities to add to Nigeria's tally as the Games enter the final stages.
With just a few days remaining, Team Nigeria remains firmly on course for one of its strongest Commonwealth Games performances in recent years, determined to finish as Africa's number one nation in Glasgow.
