Nigerian hurdler Nathaniel Ezekiel has revealed the moment he had to dig deep to protect his unbeaten streak in the 400m hurdles, a streak that has lasted since the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Fresh off his NCAA 400m hurdles title win with a record time of 47.49 seconds, Ezekiel said it was the first time all season he truly felt pushed.
“I felt the guy from A&M right behind me, and I was like, ‘No, bro, no way you’re getting first!’” he said, reflecting on the pressure he faced from Texas A&M’s Ja’Qualon Scott during the final stretch.
Ezekiel, a senior at Baylor University, had cruised through most of the season virtually unchallenged. But in the final of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, he had to respond to a real threat.
“The whole season, I’ve actually been competing against myself,” he said. “But feeling that kind of pressure from someone for the first time this season, I was like, ‘Okay, this is good. I just have to kick it again.”
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That kick led him to a school-record performance, the third-fastest time in NCAA history, and the fourth-fastest time in the world this year.
“Sometimes, when there’s a lot of pressure, that’s when you actually do your best,” he said. “It pushed me, and I responded.”
The Nigerian Olympian’s response wasn’t just physical—it was mental. Despite being a top contender and ranked No. 2 in the world earlier this year, Ezekiel made it clear: it’s the mind-set that separates winners.
With his time of 47.49, Ezekiel ended his Baylor career as a nine-time NCAA All-American and Nigeria’s national record-holder in the event. Now going pro, he could face even more pressure at the Diamond League in Eugene on July 5, and eventually at the World Championships in Tokyo this September.
“It’s pretty amazing to run that fast in my last race as a Baylor Bear,” Ezekiel added. “I consider myself a professional athlete, and I have the mind-set to do something better.”