Chidi Okezie

Chidi Anthony Okezie (born 8 August 1993) is a sprinter.^[2] Born in the United States, he competes internationally for Nigeria. He is a two-time African Championships bronze medallist in the 400 metres.

Chidi Okezie

Okezie in 2023
Personal information
Full name	Chidi Anthony Okezie
Nationality	American, Nigerian
Born	(1993-08-08) 8 August 1993 (age 32) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Height	2.01 m (6 ft 7 in)[1]
Weight	90 kg (198 lb)
Sport
Country	Nigeria
Sport	Running
Event	400 metres
College team	Hampton Pirates
Coached by	Aldrin Gray
Achievements and titles
Personal best	400 m: 44.97 (Canada 2024)
Medal record Men's athletics Representing the  United States World Junior Championships 2012 Barcelona 4×400 m relay Representing  Nigeria African Games 2023 Accra 400 m 2019 Rabat 400 m 2019 Rabat 4×400 m relay 2023 Accra 4×400 m relay African Championships 2016 Durban 400 m 2018 Asaba 400 m 2018 Asaba 4 × 400 m 2022 Saint Pierre 4 × 400 m

Personal

His father, Moses Okezie is Nigerian and his mother Carol Morris is Jamaican. He has nine siblings.^[3] He graduated from Hampton University in 2015 and has a Master's in Sports Administration.

Career

Okezie was part of the American 4 × 400 m relay team that won a gold medal at the 2012 World Junior Championships in Athletics in Barcelona.^[4]

He represented Nigeria at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and reached the semifinals of the 400 m. He also ran the anchor leg for the country in the 4 x 400 metres relay heats. The team finished second but were eventually disqualified for a lane infringement.^[5]

The 2018 African Championships were a success for Okezie. He won an individual bronze medal in the 400 metres behind Baboloki Thebe and Thapelo Phora. This made him a two-time African Championships bronze medallist as he had won a bronze medal at the 2016 Championships in Durban. He later anchored the Nigerian 4 x 400 m relay team to a bronze medal behind Kenya and South Africa. Okezie was also a member of the African quartet that placed second in the mixed 4 x 400 m relay at the 2018 IAAF Continental Cup.

In 2019, he won the bronze medal in the men's 4 × 400 metres relay at the 2019 African Games held in Rabat, Morocco.^[6] He also won the bronze medal in the men's 400 metres.^[6]

His personal best in the 400 metres is 45.24 s which he set at the 2018 Culturama Games in Nevis.

Competition record

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
Representing the  United States
2012	World Junior Championships	Barcelona, Spain	1st	4 × 400 m relay	3:03.99
Representing  Nigeria
2016	World Indoor Championships	Portland, United States	15th (h)	400 m	47.05
			5th	4 × 400 m relay	3:08.55
	African Championships	Durban, South Africa	3rd	400 m	45.76
2018	World Indoor Championships	Birmingham, United Kingdom	17th (sf)	400 m	48.53
	Commonwealth Games	Gold Coast, Australia	21st (sf)	400 m	47.33
			–	4 × 400 m relay	DQ
	African Championships	Asaba, Nigeria	3rd	400 m	45.65
			3rd	4 × 400 m relay	3:04.88
2019	African Games	Rabat, Morocco	3rd	400 m	45.61
			3rd	4 × 400 m relay	3:03.42
2022	African Championships	Port Louis, Mauritius	4th	200 m	21.02
			3rd	4 × 400 m relay	3:07.05
2024	African Games	Accra, Ghana	1st	400 m	45.06
			3rd	4 × 400 m relay	3:01.84
	African Championships	Douala, Cameroon	9th (sf)	400 m	45.96
			4th	4 × 400 m relay	3:02.93
	Olympic Games	Paris, France	16th (rep)	400 m	45.92
			–	4 × 400 m relay	DQ

National Titles

• 400 metres: 2015

Personal bests

Outdoor

• 400 metres – 45.24 (Nevis, 2018)^[7][8]

Indoor

• 200 metres – 21.02 (Boston 2016)
• 400 metres – 46.48 (Boston 2016)