Ogazi becomes Nigeria’s first athlete to qualify for 400m final in 36 years

Ofili, Oborodudu fail to deliver

Samuel Ogazi, yesterday, broke his personal best time in 400 metres on his way to becoming the first Nigerian to qualify for the final of the event in 36 years..

The last Nigerian to run in the final of the event was Innocent Egbunike, who ran 44.72 to place fifth at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, an improvement on his seventh place finish four years earlier at the Los Angeles Olympics where he and Sunday Uti became the first Nigerians to run in the final of the event.

Although Ogazi finished in third position in the third semifinal behind Great Britain’s Mathew Hudson-Smith (44.1 Secs) and United States’ Norman Michael (44.26secs), his 44.41 secs was good enough to earn him the ticket as one of the two best third finishers in the semifinals.

In final race, the 18-year-old Ogazi will line up against Hudson-Smith and Michael, as well as Unite States’ Quincy Hall (43.95secs), Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richard (44.33s), Grenada’s James Kiriani (43.78s), Zambia’s Samukonga Muzala (43.81s) and Christopher Bailey of the United States (44.31s).

The 400 metres final will hold today at the Stade de France. Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Favour Ofili ran the race of her life in the women’s 200 metres final, but he efforts were not enough to fetch her a medal.

Placed on lane nine, Ofili found the cast too tough to overhaul as she finished in 22.24 seconds in the race won by Gabby Thomas of the United States (22.08s).
100 metres champion, Julien Alfred of St. Lucia won the silver medal in 22.08 seconds and USA’s Brittany Brown took a four-way photo-finish for bronze in 22.20 seconds, beating Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith (fourth) and Daryll Neita (fifth), as well as Ofili (sixth) by just 0.04 seconds.

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