Nigeria shines at Commonwealth Games: Amusan wins heat, two 400m finalists
Nigeria's athletes delivered strong performances at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Thursday, boosting the nation's medal hopes. World record holder Tobi Amusan won her women's 100m hurdles heat in a wind-assisted 12.19 seconds - the fastest ever in CWG history though not official due to +3.8 m/s tailwind. She advanced ahead of South Africa's Marione Fourie (12.50s) and Jamaica's Kerrica Hill (12.69s).
In the men's 400m, Edidiong Udo qualified for the final with a 45.53-second semifinal run, initially third but promoted to second after Jamaica's Antonio Watson was disqualified. Udo joins already-qualified favorite Samuel Ogazi, giving Nigeria two finalists in the event. Ella Onojuvwevwo also secured her spot in the women's 400m final by winning her semifinal in 51.47 seconds, though teammates Patience Okon-George (53.21s) and Esther Elo Joseph (53.26s) missed qualification.
These results lifted Nigeria to seven gold medals, making it the highest-ranked African nation on the medals table after Goodness Nwachukwu's world-record discus gold earlier. With multiple finals ahead, Nigeria is poised for a strong medal haul in athletics.
Will these performances translate to actual medals in the finals, and which events offer Nigeria's best podium chances?