17-year-old sensation becomes fastest Nigerian 400m runner since the great Innocent Egbunike

The Nigerian pool of quarter-milers heading to the Paris Olympic Games is a delight to anticipate as teenage sensation Samuel Ogazi has become the fastest 400m runner since the great Innocent Egbunike.

Ogazi blazed to a blistering Personal Best (PB) of 44.58s at the South Eastern Conference (SEC) Championships to claim the silver medal behind Christopher Morales Williams, who clocked a Canadian National Record (NR) of 44.05, while Khaleb McRae was third also in a PB of 44.68s. 

By doing this, the 17-year-old University of Alabama freshman became Nigeria's second-fastest man in history behind the legendary Egbunike (44.17s), and his time is also a National U20 record, School Record, and No.6 all-time in world U20 history.

In addition, Ogazi is the first Nigerian runner to automatically punch an Olympic ticket in the men's 400m event since Orukpe Erayokan in 2016. 

With the NCAA championships and Paris Olympic Games on the horizon, Ogazi will be gunning to lower his breathtaking time with his eyes set on breaking Egbunike's long-standing National Record.

Also, it's safe to say Nigeria has discovered another gem for the future - and a memorable outing in Paris will kick start his journey to greatness like the iconic Egbunike.