Nigeria’s athletics scene has a new hero in 18-year-old Samuel Ogazi, who has shattered the 400m World Best record for his age group. Ogazi’s blistering 44.53s clocking at the NCAA East preliminaries not only secured his spot at the national championships but also eclipsed Usain Bolt’s times at both 17 (45.35s) and 21 (45.28s).

This feat has propelled Ogazi to the top of the U20 world rankings (sixth all-time) and placed him firmly in contention to break the long-standing record of 44.87s set by Steve Lewis in 1988.

A Meteoric Rise

Ogazi’s dominance isn’t a recent development. After a stellar 2023 season that saw him sweep national, continental, and Commonwealth Games titles in the U18 category, he transitioned seamlessly to the NCAA system in 2024.

44.53s!!
Samuel Ogazi 🇳🇬 has done it again.

He ran a new Personal Best (PB) of 44.53s to win his 400m quarterfinal at the NCAA East Prelims, the fastest time across all races, breaking his own School Record and defeating his teammate Khaleb McRae who ran 44.78s in the process!… pic.twitter.com/y12uvSNRyd

— Making of Champions (@MakingOfChamps) May 24, 2024

He wasted no time announcing his arrival, setting a new personal best of 45.35s at the season opener and progressively lowering it throughout the season. At the SEC Championships, Ogazi became the second-fastest Nigerian 400m runner ever (behind Innocent Egbunike’s 44.17s) with a scorching 44.58s run, also claiming the National U20 record and the School Record.

Eyes on the Prize

With the NCAA Championships and the Paris Olympics on the horizon, Ogazi has his sights set on even more historic achievements. Lowering his time and potentially becoming the first Nigerian man to break the 44-second barrier are his immediate goals.

Ogazi’s impact extends beyond individual races. He played a crucial role in qualifying the Nigerian mixed 4x400m relay team for the Olympics, and both he and his teammates will be aiming for a medal in Paris.