Nathaniel Ready to End Year on a High at Ultimate Championship

Nigeria’s reigning Commonwealth Games men’s 400m hurdles champion, Ezekiel Nathaniel, is approaching the World Athletics Ultimate Championship with a relaxed mindset as he prepares for his final race of the season.

Nathaniel, who claimed gold at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games in 48.47 seconds, heads into the inaugural Ultimate Championship as one of Nigeria’s leading hopes on the track. His Commonwealth victory made him the first Nigerian to win the men’s 400m hurdles at the Games.

Rather than placing unnecessary pressure on himself, the Nigerian hurdler says his main objective is to compete aggressively and enjoy the final challenge of a demanding season.

“It’s the last event for the year; I’m not going to put myself under pressure. I’ll go out there and compete hard,” Nathaniel said.

The 23-year-old has enjoyed another impressive campaign, building on the Nigerian record of 47.11 seconds he set at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo. He also finished third at the 2026 Weltklasse Zürich in 47.50 seconds as he continued to establish himself among the leading 400m hurdlers in the world.

The Ultimate Championship provides Nathaniel with another opportunity to test himself against the world's best. The inaugural event is taking place in Budapest from September 11 to 13 and features a $10 million prize pool, with individual event winners set to receive $150,000.

With the pressure of the season gradually winding down, Nathaniel appears determined to focus on the race itself rather than the expectations surrounding it.

For the Commonwealth champion, the message is simple: compete hard, give his best and see where it takes him.