Nathaniel wins Commonwealth gold as Onwuzurike claims 200m silver to boot Nigeria's medal charge
Team Nigeria rounded off another impressive day at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games in style, with Ezekiel Nathaniel storming to gold in the men's 400m hurdles and Udodi Onwuzurike racing to silver in the men's 200m on Friday.
The two podium finishes highlighted an excellent Day 8 for the Nigerian contingent, further strengthening the country's medal tally as the Games enter their final stretch.
Nathaniel produced a masterclass in the 400m hurdles final, taking control of the race early before surging clear to cross the finish line in a winning time of 48.47 seconds. England's Jake Minshull settled for silver in 48.99 seconds, while Jamaica's Assinie Wilson claimed bronze with 49.22 seconds.
The victory marks a remarkable turnaround for the Nigerian star, who finished sixth in the same event at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Four years later, Nathaniel returned a transformed athlete, delivering a championship-winning performance to claim his first Commonwealth title.
Nigeria's sprint success continued moments later as Onwuzurike produced one of his finest races of the season in the men's 200m final. Drawn in the outside lane eight, the Nigerian exploded out of the blocks and clocked a season's best of 20.09 seconds (+1.7) to secure the silver medal.
South Africa's Sinesipho Dambile won the race in 19.96 seconds, while Onwuzurike's brilliant run earned Nigeria another place on the podium.
Earlier in the day, Jami Schlueter wrapped up an impressive Commonwealth Games debut in the men's decathlon, finishing seventh overall with 7,665 points. Schlueter had been among the leading contenders after ending the opening day in fourth place and remained in the mix through six events before eventually securing a commendable top-seven finish in one of athletics' toughest competitions.
The latest medals take Nigeria's overall haul to 18 medals, nine gold, six silver and three bronze,as Team Nigeria heads into the closing stages of the Glasgow Games with confidence, momentum and hopes of adding more silverware before the curtain falls.
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