Nigeria’s 400m hurdler, Nathaniel Ezekiel, claimed his maiden Diamond League victory on Wednesday after powering to first place in the men’s 400m hurdles at the Lausanne Diamond League in Switzerland.
Ezekiel clocked an impressive 48.08 seconds, edging out American Trevor Bassitt, who finished second in 48.14 seconds.
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The win marks a major career milestone for the Nigerian as he continues his rise in international athletics.
Meanwhile, Favour Ofili also delivered a strong performance for Nigeria in the women’s 200m. Ofili, whose nationality switch to Turkey is still pending, competed under the Nigerian flag and placed second with 22.31 seconds on a rain-soaked track.
She finished behind American Brittany Brown, who won in 22.23 seconds, while Côte d’Ivoire’s Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith came third with a season’s best 22.37 seconds.
However, it was a disappointing outing for world record holder Tobi Amusan in the women’s 100m hurdles.
The Nigerian star could only manage fifth place, finishing in 12.82 seconds.
The race was won by the Netherlands’ Nadine Visser, who stunned the field with a season’s best 12.45 seconds, ahead of American Olympic champion Masai Russell (12.53) and Switzerland’s Ditaji Kambundji (12.54). Jamaican Ackera Nugent edged Amusan to fifth with 12.57 seconds.
Amusan, the reigning world champion and record holder, is expected to defend her crown at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September, where athletes are using the Diamond League as preparation.
