Samuel Ogazi Wins Historic Gold at Glasgow 2026 Games

Samuel Ogazi, a 20-year-old sprinter, achieved a historic milestone by winning Nigeria's first-ever gold medal in the men's 400m at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games on Saturday. He completed the race in 44.25 seconds at Scotstoun Stadium, surpassing the previous bronze medal record set by Sunday Bada in 1994.

Ogazi finished 0.57 seconds ahead of defending champion Jereem Richards from Trinidad and Tobago, who secured silver with a time of 44.82 seconds, while South Africa's Zakithi Nene took bronze in 45.21 seconds. Despite being a teenage Olympic finalist at Paris 2024 and the fourth-fastest man over the distance, Ogazi expressed confidence rather than pressure leading up to the race.

He stated, “I did not want to come out here and disappoint,” and shared his aspirations for future achievements, including Olympic and world championship golds. His former coach at the University of Alabama, Blaine Wiley, praised Ogazi's growth and potential, stating, “the sky is the limit for Samuel.”.