Four years ago in Birmingham, Ezekiel Nathaniel crossed the finish line sixth in the men’s 400m hurdles final, leaving the Commonwealth Games with valuable experience but no medal.
On Friday night in Glasgow, the Nigerian returned a completely different athlete.
The 23-year-old produced a magnificent performance to win the men’s 400m hurdles gold medal in 48.47 seconds, delivering Team Nigeria’s ninth gold medal of the Games and completing one of the finest redemption stories of Glasgow 2026.
Nathaniel finished comfortably ahead of England’s Jake Minshull, who claimed silver in 48.99 seconds, while Jamaica’s Assinie Wilson took bronze in 49.22 seconds.
The victory crowned an extraordinary rise for the Baylor University star, who has transformed himself into one of the world’s leading 400m hurdlers since his sixth-place finish at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, where he clocked 51.38 seconds.
Since then, Nathaniel has rewritten Nigerian athletics history.
He broke the 35-year-old Nigerian record in 2022, won the NCAA title, set an African indoor 400m record, reached the World Championships final, and established a personal best of 47.11 seconds, making him one of the fastest men in the world over the barriers.
Having qualified for the Glasgow final as the fastest athlete with a time of 48.69 seconds, Nathaniel lived up to his billing, controlling the race from the gun before pulling away over the closing metres to secure a famous victory.
His triumph is another major success for the National Sports Commission (NSC), whose investment in athlete welfare, world-class preparation, training camps and performance incentives continues to yield remarkable results.
With Nathaniel’s victory, Team Nigeria’s medal haul now stands at 16 medals—9 gold, 5 silver and 2 bronze, as the country continues one of its greatest-ever Commonwealth Games campaigns.
From sixth place in Birmingham to Commonwealth champion in Glasgow, Ezekiel Nathaniel has shown that persistence, preparation and belief can turn disappointment into glory.
*The boy who finished sixth is now the king of the Commonwealth.”
