Nigeria’s Samuel Ogazi, Ella Onojuvwevwo and Edidiong Udo have qualified for the men’s and women’s 400m finals at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
- +Ogazi, Onojuvwevwo, Udo make 400m finals
Ogazi, the 2026 world leader and reigning NCAA champion, underlined his medal credentials by winning the first men’s semi-final on Thursday in 44.52 seconds.
Ogazi, the 2026 world leader and reigning NCAA champion, underlined his medal credentials by winning the first men’s semi-final on Thursday in 44.52 seconds.
Udo also secured his place in the final after producing a strong performance in the third semi-final, running 45.55 seconds to claim second place.
The Nigerian initially finished third behind Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richards and Jamaica’s Antonio Watson, but Watson was disqualified, allowing Udo to move into the automatic qualification spot.
Udo’s 45.55 seconds would have also been enough to earn him one of the two fastest non-automatic qualifying spots across the three semi-finals.
In the women’s event, Onojuvwevwo continued her impressive season by winning her semi-final in 51.47 seconds to comfortably secure automatic qualification for the final.
The Nigerian ran the second-fastest time across the three semi-finals, behind Jamaica’s Dejanea Oakley, who clocked 51.18 seconds in the second semi-final.
Onojuvwevwo, who holds the African indoor 400m record, came into the Games as one of Nigeria’s strongest medal hopefuls following an outstanding season that has included a personal best of 49.47 seconds.
Defending champion Sada Williams of Barbados also advanced to the final after running 51.85 seconds.
British athlete of Nigerian descent, Yemi John, who won the first semi-final, will also be among the leading contenders for gold in Saturday’s final.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Esther Joseph and Patience Okon-George failed to qualify for the women’s 400m final but will hope to contribute to the country’s medal hopes in the relay.
The qualification of the three Nigerians gives Team Nigeria a strong presence in both 400m finals as the country’s athletics contingent continues its medal push in Glasgow.
The men’s and women’s 400m finals will be held on Saturday at 12 noon and 12:20 pm, respectively.
