Team Nigeria Boosts Commonwealth Medal Hunt With Gold & Silver
By FRED LONGJOHN OBEH
TEAM Nigeria produced another memorable performance at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. The country won one gold medal and one silver medal on Day Eight of the athletics competition.
The latest results lifted Nigeria’s medal tally and reinforced the team’s growing momentum with only a few days left before the Games conclude.
Ezekiel Nathaniel led the charge with a commanding victory in the men’s 400 metres hurdles. He crossed the finish line in 48.47 seconds to secure his first Commonwealth Games gold medal.
England’s Jake Minshull finished second with a time of 48.99 seconds. Jamaica’s Assinie Wilson claimed the bronze medal after clocking 49.22 seconds.
Nathaniel’s victory marked a major milestone in his career. He had finished sixth in the same event at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Four years later, he returned stronger and transformed that disappointment into a gold-medal performance.
Nigeria’s success continued in the men’s 200 metres final. Udodi Onwuzurike produced one of his best races of the season to win the silver medal.
Running from lane eight, Onwuzurike clocked a season’s best time of 20.09 seconds. South Africa’s Sinesipho Dambile won the race in 19.96 seconds, while the Nigerian sprinter settled for second place with another impressive display of speed and consistency.
Earlier in the day, Jami Schlueter completed a solid debut in the men’s decathlon. He finished seventh overall with 7,665 points after remaining among the leading competitors throughout the demanding two-day event.
The latest performances pushed Nigeria’s overall medal haul to nine gold, six silver and three bronze medals, giving the country a total of 18 medals.
The results have strengthened Team Nigeria’s confidence heading into the closing stages of the Games. With several medal events still to come, Nigerian athletes will hope to build on their recent successes and improve the country’s final position on the Commonwealth Games medals table.
