— History was emphatically rewritten on Saturday morning at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Samuel Ogazi delivered a sensational championship performance to become the first Nigerian man ever to win the Commonwealth 400m title, leading a spectacular session that pushed Team Nigeria’s overall tally to a remarkable 20 medals, including 10 golds.
Samuel Ogazi approached the men’s 400m final with absolute composure and tactical brilliance. Navigating the final bend with supreme control, he surged into the home straight and effortlessly pulled away from a world-class field to claim the gold medal in a brand-new Games Record .
His landmark victory saw him finish ahead of Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richards, who took silver, and South Africa’s Zakithi Nene, who completed the podium with bronze. Ogazi’s triumph not only secured Nigeria’s 10th gold of the Games but forever etched his name in the history books as the country’s pioneer male 400m Commonwealth champion.
Onojuvwevwo Breaks a 32-Year Jinx :
Moments after Ogazi’s heroics, Ella Onojuvwevwo delivered her own slice of history in the women’s 400m final. Clocking a highly competitive time of 51.00 seconds , Onojuvwevwo secured the bronze medal.
This monumental finish officially ends a 32-year drought for Nigeria in the event, making her the first Nigerian woman to stand on the Commonwealth Games 400m podium since Fatima Yusuf won silver back in 1994.
Relay Squads Lock In Final Berths :
Team Nigeria’s dominance extended to the short sprints, with both the men’s and women’s 4x100m relay quartets successfully booking their tickets to the finals following highly impressive heat performances:
- Men’s 4x100m Relay: The dynamic quartet of Chidera Ezeakor, Kayinsola Ajayi, Nicholas Fakorede, and Favour Ashe put the rest of the field on notice, winning their heat with a blistering time of 38.46 seconds .They successfully held off a potent Canadian squad (38.53s) and Australia (38.69s) to firmly position themselves in the gold-medal conversation.
- Women’s 4x100m Relay: Demonstrating tremendous grit, the team of Miracle Ezechukwu, Jennifer Chukwuka Obi, Olayinka Olajide, and Prestina Ochonogor recovered from a shaky baton exchange to finish second in their heat. They clocked 43.93 seconds to secure automatic qualification behind Jamaica, who won the heat in 42.74 seconds.
With 10 gold medals and 20 overall medals securely in the bag, Team Nigeria will return for Saturday’s blockbuster evening session with three massive opportunities to add to their haul. The nation will be highly represented in the men’s 4x100m final , the women’s 4x100m final , and the mixed 4x400m final as the Glasgow 2026 Games head into their thrilling final stages.
