Nigeria gained another slot in the 2024 Paris Olympics after Samuel Ogazi ran an outstanding 44.58s in the men’s 400m final event at the SEC Outdoor Championships.

The outcome meant that Ogazi who is a freshman at the University of Alabama is the first Nigerian man in 37 years to record such time in a 400m event. He has now set a new National Record, and also dethroned Innocent Egbunike who has held the record since 1987.

Ogazi started the final in a conservative manner but built momentum with time and did not mind that Chrostopher Morales-Williams, the NCAA Record holder was close to him on the track.

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As the race entered its second half, Ogazi ran down deep, made up ground and sped past three other athletes who were hitherto ahead of him to finish second. Ogazi recorded the second fastest time in the 2024 NCAA.

Prior the final, Ogazi had just returned from helping Nigeria secure Olympic qualification in the 4x400m event and also set an African Record, and smashed the school record.

Ogazi’s achievement might be a little surprise to his fans because he showed so much promise while competing on the tracks of Kaduna State where he was discovered.