A semifinalist at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Ezekiel Nathaniel, has achieved a remarkable feat by breaking Africa’s 400m indoor record.
During the 2025 Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championship held in Lubbock, Texas, on Saturday, Ezekiel Nathaniel set a new Africa’s 400m indoor record of 44.74 seconds.
This achievement comes just two weeks after the 21-year-old athlete clocked an impressive 44.92 seconds, making history as the first man from Africa to break the 45-second barrier during the Jarvis Scott Invite, also in Lubbock.
In a highly competitive environment, Nathaniel ran a timed final alongside Arizona State’s Jayden Davis, who had pushed him during the qualification round.
Nathaniel aggressively took the lead at the break, finishing the opening lap in a swift 21.09 seconds. He maintained his composure throughout the race, showcasing his resilience and determination as he surpassed his previous record to claim gold, while Davis followed closely in second with a time of 44.95 seconds.
In addition to his victory, Nathaniel played a crucial role in anchoring the Baylor University men’s 4x400m relay team to its 17th overall Big 12 title, with the team finishing at 3:04.78.
With this outstanding performance, Nathaniel not only set a new African record but also positioned himself as the eighth fastest man in the world for the distance and marked his place as the sixth fastest in NCAA history while also achieving a meet record.
Thanks to his contributions, Baylor’s men’s team secured third place with 84 points, trailing behind Oklahoma State and Texas Tech, which scored 87 and 124 points, respectively.
Looking ahead, Nathaniel is set to return to the track in two weeks for the 2025 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships, scheduled for March 14-15 at the Virginia Beach Sports Center in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He is also preparing to represent Nigeria at the World Indoor Championships from March 21 to 23 in Nanjing, China.
Nathaniel’s journey began with the Buka Tigers Athletics Club in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, where he first made a mark in athletics by finishing fourth at the World Under-20 Championships in Nairobi in 2021. His talent caught the attention of a coach from Baylor University, leading him to move to the USA.
In his freshman year (2022), he made headlines by breaking the long-standing Nigerian national record in the 400m hurdles, previously held by Henry Amike, with a time of 48.42 seconds to win the Big 12 Conference title. He further improved this record two years later, clocking in at 48.00 seconds.
Nathaniel has also made significant strides on the international stage, reaching the semi-finals of the men’s 400m hurdles at the World Championships in both 2022 and 2023, and advancing to the semi-finals in the men’s 400m at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
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