By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
Team Nigeria delivered another impressive performance at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games on Friday, with Ezekiel Nathaniel winning gold in the men’s 400m hurdles and Udodi Onwuzurike claiming silver in the men’s 200m to cap a successful Day 8 of the competition.
Nathaniel produced a commanding run to emerge Commonwealth champion in the men’s 400m hurdles, crossing the finish line in 48.47 seconds.
He finished ahead of England’s Jake Minshull, who took silver in 48.99 seconds, while Jamaica’s Assinie Wilson settled for bronze in 49.22 seconds.
The gold medal marked a remarkable turnaround for the Nigerian athlete, who finished sixth in the same event at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Four years later, Nathaniel returned to claim the title with a dominant performance.
Nigeria’s success continued on the track as Udodi Onwuzurike delivered one of his best performances of the season to secure silver in the men’s 200m final. Running from lane eight, Onwuzurike clocked a season’s best time of 20.09 seconds to finish second behind South Africa’s Sinesipho Dambile, who won gold in 19.96 seconds.
Earlier in the day, Jami Schlueter wrapped up an impressive Commonwealth Games debut by finishing seventh in the men’s decathlon with a total of 7,665 points across the ten-event competition. Schlueter had been among the leading contenders after the opening day before eventually securing a commendable top-seven finish.
The latest medals increased Team Nigeria’s tally to nine gold, six silver and three bronze medals, bringing the country’s total to 18 medals as the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games enter the final stages.
The National Sports Commission said the performances have boosted the team’s confidence and momentum as Nigerian athletes continue their pursuit of more podium finishes before the Games conclude.
