Athletics: Tobi Amusan, Ezekiel Nathaniel star for Nigeria at World Athletics Championships 2025
Amusan bags World Athletics Championships silver for Nigeria
We have now closed the chapter on the 2025 World Athletics Championships, but the memories of the competition will live on forever as we saw one world record, nine championship records and nine area records set or equalled across the nine days of competition.
Against the betting odds, African nations were arguably the highlight of the tournament in Tokyo, and while Nigeria were only able to secure one medal at the competition, several impressive performances painted a bright picture for the country for the future.
Nigeria’s sole medal was delivered by none other than Tobi Amusan, who bounced back incredibly after suffering heartbreak at the Paris Olympic Games last year and admitted that she suffered from PTSD ahead of the competition after finishing fourth when she last competed in Tokyo.
Despite that, the 28-year-old once again reminded onlookers why she is widely considered one of the world's greatest athletes by storming to silver in her signature event, the 100m hurdles, with a stunning time of 12.29 seconds. Speaking to the media after her success, Amusan said:
"I'll take the silver. The journey has been rough. I've taken more Ls than wins, but I am thankful that I have a great support system - my coach, my family, my mentors, my loved ones, my fans. This is for everyone."
Aside from her recent on-track difficulties, Amusan also had to overcome controversy off the track after publicly blasting the Athletics Federation of Nigeria over providing inadequate gear for the athletes at the World Championships.
Nathaniel ends Nigeria’s 38-year wait for men’s 400m hurdles final
Nigeria thought they had secured a second medal at the 2025 World Athletics Championships, thanks to an incredible performance by Ezekiel Nathaniel in the men’s 400m, but it was not to be, as a race review forced the nation’s record holder to settle for fourth place.
Nathaniel made history by becoming the first Nigerian man to reach the final of the 400m hurdles at a World Championship since Henry Amike in 1987, and while he left Tokyo empty-handed, he still delivered the performance of his life.
The 22-year-old lined up in the final alongside some of the greatest athletes the event had ever seen and crossed the finish line in 47.11 to set a new National Record (NR) for a staggering sixth time this year.
The race was won by Rai Benjamin, but tournament officials originally disqualified the American for a hurdle infringement, which bumped Nathaniel up to the bronze medal. Unfortunately, after review, Benjamin was reinstated as the winner, forcing the Nigerian athlete to settle for fourth.
Other notable performances for Nigeria came from Kanyinsola Ajayi, who finished sixth in the men's 100m final and Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, who placed fifth in the men’s long jump.
