Samuel Ogazi claims Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games gold for Nigeria as Iwan Thomas gives 400m insight - 'Train hard, race easy'

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Iwan Thomas explained why the 400m race is one of the toughest to train for following Samuel Ogazi's Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games win on Saturday. The Nigerian won with a time of 44.25, beating Trinidad and Tobago's Jereem Richards to gold.

'The theory is train hard, race easy' - Thomas provides insight on 400m event

Video credit: TNT Sports

Ogazi was the favourite to finish first in the 400m Men's final over the weekend, and he lived up to expectations at the Games.

The 400m requires a full lap of the track, meaning racers run both with and against the wind, making it one of the tougher races to run.

And 400m specialist Thomas delivered his insight into the difficulty that comes with competing in the event.

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British boxer Delicious Orie joined Thomas in the TNT Sports studios for Saturday's event, and enquired about whether the wind would play a part in the race.

"It's more of a thing in the sprints," Thomas started. "So the 100m, for example, you want a tailwind, the wind behind you.

"Unfortunately, in the 400m, you've got to do the whole lap, so it might be behind you down the back straight, so you think, 'this is nice'. But you're going to have to face it in the home straight.

'He is the champion!' - Ogazi wins Nigeria's first-ever 400m gold medal

Video credit: TNT Sports

"As much as it hurts, it's a really horrible event, but, to be honest, the training is a lot more brutal."

Thomas elaborated on how he prepared for a 400m race, and whether he'd actually run 500m in order to prepare for an event.

"I very rarely ran a 400m in training," the 52-year-old replied. "So we'd do things like eight 200m with a very short recovery. Six 300m reps off three minutes.

"And the brutal session we used to do is 500m, 400m, 300, 200, 100 - 500m is horrible - but the theory is, 'you train hard, you race easy'.

"Although the 400m isn't easy, as I said, the training is often a lot worse than the race."

'I'd rather do a half-marathon'

Orie backed up Thomas' point, adding that he used to carry out sprints as part of his training.

"I remember doing the sprint-blocks that we had," the 29-year-old said.

"By far the worst sort of running I would have done was 300m, rest for about five minutes, 300m again.

"I'd rather do a half-marathon. It is a horrible feeling. Giving everything, and then going again. Five minutes sounds like a long time, doesn't it."

Thomas then added on the five-minute rest time: "It's not. It goes quickly."

After the race, meanwhile, Thomas also conceded that he had fancied Richards to claim gold in the final at the Games.

"Jereem Richards, he's a 200m specialist in the past, so I knew he was going to go off pretty hard," Thomas explained.

"He ran a great race, he took the silver medal in the end [with a time of] 44.82s. He's run a lot quicker than that.

"They've all run quicker, but it's quite a cold day there. And times are irrelevant when it comes to a final. It's all about winning those medals."

Oakley eases to gold

Shortly after Ogazi's Men's 400m success, Jamaican sprinter Dejanea Oakley delivered gold in the Women's race.

Oakley was the strong pre-race favourite, and cruised to victory as she ran a 50.21s in the 400m Women's final.

'Delivers the gold medal' - Oakley victorious in women's 400m final

Video credit: TNT Sports

Victory for Oakley marked Jamaica's seventh gold medal of the Games.

In a close race for silver, Sada Williams finished second, while Ella Onojuvwevwo rounded off the podium in Scotland on Saturday afternoon.

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