Nigeria's Ezekiel Nathaniel surged to victory in the final heat of the men's 400m hurdles at the World Athletics Championships, clocking an impressive 48.37 seconds to secure his spot in the semifinals and ignite hopes of a medal for the African contingent.
The 25-year-old from Lagos, who earlier this year shattered Nigeria's national record with a blistering 47.31 at the Silesia Diamond League—slotting him between Olympic champions Karsten Warholm and Alison dos Santos—led from the front in Heat 5 at the National Stadium.
Nathaniel held off a strong challenge from the United States' Caleb Dean, who crossed the line in 48.67s for second, while Brazil's Francisco dos Reis Viana notched a personal best of 48.69s to grab third and advance.
Nathaniel's win capped off an electrifying morning session on Day 3 of the championships, where the top four from each of the six heats, plus the next four fastest overall, punched tickets to Wednesday's semifinals.
The Nigerian's time, while not matching his season's best, showcased his tactical nous under the humid Tokyo conditions, easing up just enough to conserve energy for the races ahead.
"This is just the beginning. I'm here to compete with the best and bring home something for Nigeria," Nathaniel said post-race, his voice steady amid the roar of the crowd.
The heat also saw Guernsey's Alastair Chalmers sneak into fourth for a British advance, joining teammate Tyri Donovan in the next round.
Earlier heats featured heavyweights like Norway's Warholm easing to third in Heat 3 behind Brazil's Leandro Lima and Qatar's Abubakar Abakar, and defending champion Rai Benjamin powering through Heat 4 in 48.15s.
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