I want to leave records that will be hard to break – Ogazi News

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I want to leave records that will be hard to break – Ogazi

By Daily Sports Nigeria on August 7, 2026

igeria’s men’s 400m record holder, NCAA champion and Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Samuel Ogazi, speaks to ABIODUN ADEWALE about his journey from Kaduna to athletics stardom, his breakthrough season and his ambitions for the future

Congratulations, Samuel. You won two medals at the just-concluded Commonwealth Games in Glasgow — gold in the 400m flat and bronze in the mixed relay. Now that the dust has settled, what do they mean to you?

They mean a lot to me because I have been working towards that. Coming out here and being able to show the world that we are not just NCAA athletes, that we can also compete against the pros and everybody, means a lot to me.

So far, how do you rank these medals among your achievements so far?

This is like the biggest moment of my life. This is my first global competition and this is the biggest thing I have achieved.

What was running through your mind as you crossed the finish line in the 400m flat?

As I approached the line, I kept telling myself that I had to finish. When I looked at the time, I was like, “Yes, I can rest.”

Knowing you would still run the mixed 4x400m relay, did you conserve energy?

To take down the championship record, you have to go all out. I would say the first part of my race was sluggish. It was a slow start for me, but I finished strongly and that is what matters. First of all, I had the slowest reaction in the race coming out of the blocks. I am always sluggish out of the blocks, but I pick up after the first 100m or 150m. Right now, I am going back to work on that part of my race. That needs to be fixed.

Looking back at when the season started, how would you describe the season?

It’s been phenomenal. Coming into the season, my prayer to God was to stand out. I used to remind myself that this year was going to be my year. Since I’ve been on the track, I’ve had this mentality of making the first and second years good and the bad year followed by another good year. In 2023 and 2024, I had good years. In 2025, it was full of lessons. So I started taking my recovery, hydration and core seriously, and a lot changed this season. From February till now, a lot has changed, and I don’t want to take my foot off the gas. I started in 2021 and started going to competitions in 2022. Let’s say from last year till this year, a lot has changed. Before, I just knew I had talent and would wake up to run. But I took my core and hydration more seriously and took my recovery more seriously too, and everything just fell into place.

With the way 2025 ended, if someone had told you that you would break records the following season, would you have believed them?

I have always believed in myself and what I could do. I always knew I had the talent and I would have believed it. My practice has been incredible and I worked so hard. Maybe in January, if someone told me, I wouldn’t have believed it, but when I ran 44.8s as the season opener, then I was like, “Oh yeah, breaking records is just going to be a matter of time.”

During this season, winning was never in doubt, but we looked out for the time. Did the pressure of lowering your time get to you?

It was different for me because I wanted to win everything. I didn’t win my season opener because I was just getting ready.

In Kaduna, what was the dream like and how did you envision your next five years that you are experiencing now?

The dream was just to run and be average. Growing up in that part of the country, most people didn’t believe in athletics, unlike football. We have had great 400m guys like Musa Audu and the rest. At the stadium, people running 49s were the kings. I had to break the yoke.

When was the last time you were in Kaduna?

I went to Kaduna last year, and I do that every year.

As an inspiration and shining light, do you have any plans for talent development in Kaduna?

The first thing I have to do is change the mindset of parents to allow their kids to chase their dreams. In the USA, high school boys are running great times.

Do you think your background affected or helped you in the NCAA?

It helped me a lot. I went to the USA with a lot of things to fix in my form and strength. Before travelling, I wasn’t lifting weights, but I started lifting when I got to the USA.

What is the pressure like being a professional compared to being a student-athlete?

I don’t see much difference. It is just the same people. I have run with the best guys in the world, and it’s the same mindset. There is no pressure.

You’re the fourth-fastest man of all time in the 400m. Are you setting your sights on the world record?

For now, I am just going with the flow. If it comes, I will take it, and if it doesn’t, I move on. I just want to win every race. I think it’s possible to achieve that in two years.

What is your academic life like with your athletics profile, considering your good grades, PB and nomination for the SEC Student-Athlete of the Year?

I have a GPA of 3.8. The American system has helped a lot because we could go to class and train. I can wake up at 8, go to class from 10 till 12, and by 2pm I am practising. Also, as a Nigerian, I feel we can adapt anywhere, especially when we want to be the best.

Expectations will grow from here. How do you plan to manage that?

First of all, seek God’s guidance. Practise, train, do what you have been doing, learn new things, try new things, and everything will fall into place.

Before now, Nigeria’s medal prospect used to be Tobi Amusan alone, but coming here, a number of guys like you entered the fray. Does that motivate you?

Coming here, I told my coach I was going to win. I have done less before and I didn’t want to do that again. I wanted the gold and I believed I could. I put in the work to achieve that as well. We encourage one another to put in the work and try to put Nigeria on the map.

How do you want to be remembered in Nigerian athletics?

I want to leave a legacy where people will be like “this record is too hard to break” or “this guy was so good,” just the way I looked at many people before me. Going into Alabama, my school record was 44.7s or 44.8s, and it was over a decade. I told myself I would break the record but I didn’t break it until my teammate did. So, I just want to keep doing that and raising the bar.

Source Punch Ng

Posted August 7, 2026