Samuel Ogazi

Samuel Ogazi is a Nigerian 400-metre sprinter who reached the Paris 2024 Olympic final, won consecutive NCAA outdoor titles for the University of Alabama and became the 2026 Commonwealth Games champion.

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About Samuel Ogazi

Profile information current to 2026-08-18.

Nigeria · Sprinter · 1 affiliation

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Known for: 400-metre sprinting; International athletics competition for Nigeria; NCAA track and field
Country: Nigeria

Sprinter

At a glance

Ogazi finished seventh in the men's 400-metre final at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
He retained the NCAA outdoor 400-metre title in 2026 with a collegiate-record and Nigerian-record time of 43.38 seconds.
He won the men's 400-metre title at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Background and education

Born on 14 May 2006, Ogazi is from Kaduna, Nigeria. His University of Alabama biography lists Dagaps Royal Academy as his high school and criminal justice as his collegiate major.

International competition

Ogazi won 400-metre bronze at the 2024 African Athletics Championships before reaching the Paris Olympic final, where he placed seventh in 44.73 seconds. In August 2026, he won Commonwealth Games gold in Glasgow with a time of 44.25 seconds.

Collegiate titles and records

Competing for Alabama, Ogazi won the NCAA outdoor 400-metre championship in 2025 and retained it in 2026, when his 43.38-second performance broke the collegiate record and set a Nigerian record. He also won the 2026 NCAA indoor title in 44.57 seconds, listed as Nigerian and African short-track records. TheCable reported in June 2026 that he had ended his collegiate athletics career and turned professional, although Alabama's roster continued to show collegiate-era information.

Affiliations

University of Alabama Student-athlete, track and field 2026-06

Timeline

2024-06 Won bronze in the men's 400 metres at the African Athletics Championships in Douala in 45.47 seconds.
2024-08-07 Finished seventh in the men's 400-metre final at the Paris Olympic Games in 44.73 seconds.
2025 Won the NCAA outdoor men's 400-metre championship for Alabama.
2026-03-14 Won the NCAA indoor 400-metre title in 44.57 seconds, a performance listed as an African and Nigerian short-track record.
2026-06-12 Retained the NCAA outdoor 400-metre title in 43.38 seconds, breaking the collegiate record and setting a Nigerian record.
2026-08-01 Won the men's 400-metre gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 44.25 seconds.

Additional verified details

Current context

Ogazi is reported to have ended his collegiate athletics career and turned professional. TheCable reported the transition after citing his public farewell announcement; Alabama's roster continued to display collegiate-era information.
World Athletics lists Ogazi's personal bests as 43.38 seconds outdoors and 44.57 seconds on a short track. Both are marked as Nigerian records, and the short-track mark is also marked as an African record.

Biographical facts

Ogazi was born on 14 May 2006.
His University of Alabama biography lists Kaduna, Nigeria, as his hometown and Dagaps Royal Academy as his high school.
During his University of Alabama collegiate career, he was listed as majoring in criminal justice.