Ogazi aims to be greatest ever after historic gold
August 2, 2026 1:10 am
Samuel Ogazi. Photo: Olympics
By Peter Akinbo
Samuel Ogazi has set his sights on becoming the greatest athlete of all time after storming to a historic first senior gold medal in the men’s 400m at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games on Saturday, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The 20-year-old lived up to his status as world number one, powering home in 44.25 seconds at Scotstoun Stadium to give Nigeria its first-ever gold in the event and surpass the bronze won by Sunday Bada at the 1994 Games.
He finished 0.57 seconds clear of defending champion Jereem Richards of Trinidad and Tobago, who took silver in 44.82 seconds, while South Africa’s Zakithi Nene claimed bronze in 45.21 seconds.
A teenage Olympic finalist at Paris 2024 and already the fourth-fastest man of all time over the distance, Ogazi arrived in Glasgow as a rising star still chasing his first senior title, and he made light of the burden of expectation.
“I would not say I had extra pressure on me. It was just a bit of weight on my back to carry. I did not want to come out here and disappoint. I was confident, I came here prepared, I have trained for this and for conditions like this.
“The first 100 was a little sluggish, but I knew I had a lot inside me. I just stayed controlled, kept it easy and kept going,” Ogazi said.
Asked about his ambitions beyond Glasgow, the sprinter did not hold back.
“Maybe an Olympic gold, a world championship gold, become the greatest athlete ever. That is what I am working towards,” he said.
His former coach at the University of Alabama, Blaine Wiley, who watched the race, backed his charge to reach even greater heights.
“Samuel is a remarkable athlete. He made the Olympic final as an 18-year-old and has grown and matured every year from a boy into a man.
“There are a lot of great athletes out there, but I believe the sky is the limit for Samuel,” Wiley said.
Peter, who has been covering sports for PUNCH for close to two years, focuses on combat sports reporting, special features and human angle stories
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