When Samuel Ogazi toed the line for Nigeria in the men’s 400m at the 20th World Athletics Championships, many expected the teenage sensation to light up the track the way he had all season. But what unfolded was far from his sparkling form, and now the 19-year-old has revealed why.
The reigning NCAA 400m champion and Paris 2024 Olympic finalist, speaking to reporters in Tokyo afterwards, disclosed that he was compelled to compete despite being unwell, unfit, and unprepared. According to him, officials of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) pressured him to run even after he raised health concerns.
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“First of all, I told the Team Nigeria officials I wasn’t prepared for this race because my hamstring is bothering me, but they still insisted that I should go around. So I did what I could, and that’s the outcome,” Ogazi said, visibly disappointed after his race.
The warning signs
Ogazi’s concerns didn’t emerge out of nowhere. The 19-year-old explained that just days before his departure, he felt in peak shape, only for things to unravel once he arrived.
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“On Monday, back home, I had a very good practice and I felt ready. I flew in on Tuesday. On Wednesday, I went for a shakeout and I felt some tweak or some shaking in my hamstring. And I don’t run with injuries. Everybody who knows me knows that I don’t run with injuries,” he recounted.
Despite immediately informing Team Nigeria officials, his worries were dismissed.
“I told them, Team Nigeria officials, I’m not prepared for this. I don’t think I could do anything if I go out there. They said, just go out there and give it your all. I didn’t warm up properly. I didn’t do anything properly.”
Willing to sit out
For Ogazi, competing at all costs wasn’t an option he embraced. He stressed that he would have preferred to sit out rather than risk worsening his condition.
“Yeah, I was willing to sit out. I was very, very much willing to sit out. During the warm-up, I spoke with the doctor. He taped my leg. I told him, yo, I’m not ready. I know I’m not feeling healthy and strong yet.
“Right now, I’m not feeling healthy and strong. I don’t know, maybe coupled with the fact that I was diagnosed with COVID two weeks ago. I don’t know.”
That candid admission not only highlights the struggles he was facing physically but also raises questions about athlete management and decision-making within Nigeria’s athletics structure.
A season of highs and lows
Despite the bitter ending at the World Championships, Ogazi’s 2024/25 season has been nothing short of remarkable. At just 19, he became an NCAA champion, the main goal he set for himself at the start of the year.
“I would say my season was impressive and superb because my main goal was to win the NCAAs and I got that done. After that, I was just going with the flow,” said the athlete, who clocked a personal season’s best of 44.43 seconds earlier in the year.
A former African U18 double champion in the 200m and 400m, Ogazi has shown he is more than capable of holding his own among the world’s best. But in Tokyo, his body and circumstances betrayed him.
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The bigger question
Ogazi’s revelation has sparked concern among athletes, fans and others in the circle. Once again, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria finds itself in the eye of a storm, accused of prioritising medals and appearances over the long-term health of its athletes.
Many believe this pressure-cooker culture has plagued Nigerian athletics for decades, with promising stars often rushed into competition unfit or overburdened, only to fade before their prime.
At 19, Ogazi still has time, and immense potential. But his painful honesty at the World Championships has raised uncomfortable questions: Are Nigeria’s brightest talents being protected, or are they being sacrificed in the pursuit of short-term glory?
For now, Ogazi remains optimistic about his future.
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