Nigeria’s rising sprint sensation Samuel Ogazi has earned global recognition after Botswana’s world champion Collen Kebinatshipi identified the 20-year-old as one of the biggest threats to Wayde van Niekerk’s long-standing 400 metres world record.
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Speaking during the Monaco Diamond League pre-meet press conference, Kebinatshipi singled out the Nigerian star as one of the athletes capable of rewriting history, following Ogazi’s sensational performances this season.
The Nigerian quarter-miler has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in 2026, clocking a national record of 43.38 seconds to become one of the fastest men in the world this year and cement his status as one of athletics’ brightest young talents.
“Samuel Ogazi is one of the athletes capable of challenging the world record. The quality of the field is improving, and I believe something special could happen,” Kebinatshipi said.
The Botswana star, who recently won the Paris Diamond League in 43.54 seconds, believes the current generation of 400m runners is pushing each other to unprecedented levels.
He also just broke another record at the Monaco Diamond League with 43.44 seconds at the men’s 400m to break a national record and become no. 6 on the all time list.
He also revealed that he remains in regular contact with South African legend Wayde van Niekerk, whose world record of 43.03 seconds, set at the 2016 Rio Olympics, has remained untouched for nearly a decade.
“When you have athletes running these kinds of times consistently, the world record naturally becomes part of the conversation,” he added.
Ogazi, the NCAA champion, has rapidly emerged as one of Nigeria’s biggest athletics prospects, with his remarkable improvement attracting attention from athletes and coaches around the world.
The Nigerian is expected to continue his preparations for the upcoming World Athletics Championships and the Commonwealth Games, where he will be among the country’s strongest medal hopefuls following his outstanding performances on the international circuit.
