Nigeria’s Samuel Ogazi has broken a 26-year-old record to win the men’s 400-meter national title at the NCAA Championships

Nigeria’s Samuel Ogazi on Friday broke a 26-year-old record to win the men’s 400-meter national title on the third day of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Ogazi became the first Nigerian athlete since 1999 to win a 400m NCAA title by emerging as the only runner in the event final to clock a sub-45 time as he finished with 44.84 seconds.

The first runner+up, William Jones of Southern Cal, finished with a time of 45.53 seconds. Jordan Pierre of Arkansas-Pine Bluff (45.75), DeSean Boyce of Texas Tech (45.78) and Joseph Taylor of Duke (45.83) rounded out the top five.

The only other SEC runner in the top 9 was Texas A&M’s Auhmad Robinson who finished in the seventh position.

Ogazi who is a 2024 Paris Olympics finalist after picking up the gold medal has now won his first-ever NCAA title, having picked up silver at the 2024 NCAA outdoor championships with a time of 44.52 in the 400-meter dash.

He had laid down a marker at the championships on Wednesday, storming to victory in his 400m semi-final with an impressive time of 44.77 seconds, the fastest across all heats.

His smooth execution, strategic pacing, and strong finish have so far made him one of the standout athletes of the NCAA Championships.