…Samuel Ogazi recently claimed the NCAA outdoor 400m title
Nigerian 400m record holder Samuel Ogazi has officially turned professional, bringing an end to a remarkable three-year collegiate career with the University of Alabama.
The 19-year-old announced his decision in an emotional farewell message to the Alabama athletics programme, thanking his coaches, teammates and support staff for helping shape both his career and personal development.
“As I begin the next chapter of my life and continue chasing my dreams, I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Samuel Ogazi wrote.
“Leaving Nigeria to come to Alabama was one of the biggest decisions of my life. I came here with faith, hope and a dream. Today, I leave with so much more than medals and memories. I leave as a better man because of this program.”
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The Kaduna-born quarter-miler leaves Alabama as arguably the greatest 400m runner in NCAA history after rewriting both collegiate and Nigerian record books.
Just two weeks ago, Ogazi produced one of the greatest performances ever seen in collegiate athletics, clocking 43.38 seconds to win the NCAA outdoor 400m title and break Michael Norman’s long-standing NCAA record of 43.61s.
The performance also made him the fourth-fastest man in history over the distance and lowered his own Nigerian record for the fourth time this season.
Ogazi first broke Innocent Egbunike’s 37-year-old Nigerian record with 44.02s before improving it successively to 43.95s, 43.82s and finally 43.38s.
Earlier in the year, he won the NCAA indoor 400m title in 44.57s, equalling the recognised world indoor record and setting a new African indoor record.
His final collegiate season was one of total dominance.
He completed a sweep of the NCAA indoor and outdoor 400m titles, won both the SEC indoor and outdoor championships and became the first collegian to produce multiple sub-44-second performances in the same season.
Ogazi also won the 2025 NCAA outdoor title after finishing runner-up as a freshman in 2024, ending his NCAA career with three national titles and one silver medal.
Beyond his individual success, the Nigerian established multiple University of Alabama school records and leaves the programme as the fastest 400m athlete in NCAA history.
His decision to turn professional comes just hours after he was named one of the 10 semifinalists for the 2026 Bowerman Award, collegiate track and field’s highest individual honour.
With his collegiate chapter now complete, attention will turn to Ogazi’s professional career as he prepares to compete against the world’s best ahead of the 2027 World Championships and the 2028 Olympic Games.
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