Samuel Ogazi smashes 26-Year-Old Nigerian youth record
Samuel Ogazi, a rising star in Nigerian track and field, has achieved another milestone by joining his idol Chidi Okezie in an exclusive club of sub-45.40s runners.
This achievement signals a promising trend in Nigerian male quarter-milers, driven by the impressive performances of Chidi Okezie and Ogazi early in the season.
At the Battle of the Bayou in Louisiana, Ogazi clocked a blazing Personal Best (PB) of 45.35s, securing second place overall behind Christopher Morales Williams, who ran 45.18s.
This remarkable time not only broke Nduka Awazie’s National U18 record of 45.44s set in 1998 but also established Samuel Ogazi as the youngest quarter-miler in Nigerian history to break the 45.40s mark.
Samuel Ogazi’s achievement is further highlighted by the fact that his personal best prior to this race was 45.91s, indicating a significant improvement in his performance.
His time also ranks as the second-fastest Nigerian U20 time in history, behind Emmanuel Bamidele’s 45.28s, and places him second on the 2024 world list in that age group category, trailing only Quincy Wilson’s outstanding 45.19s.
Following in the footsteps of his idol Okezie, who recently clocked 45.06s to become the first Nigerian man to win the African Games men’s 400m title since 1987, Ogazi is setting his sights on achieving the 2024 Paris Olympics qualifying standard of 45.00s.
With both athletes showcasing remarkable performances early in the season, there is optimism that they can surpass this mark and secure their first individual Olympics qualification.
