Nigeria’s Kanyinsola Ajayi has written his name into the history books, becoming the first Nigerian man in 18 years to qualify for a World Championships 100m final.
The 20-year-old sprinter clocked 9.93 seconds to finish second in his semifinal on Sunday at the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships, securing automatic passage into the showpiece race.
Ajayi’s feat brings back memories of Olusoji Fasuba, who last made the men’s 100m final for Nigeria in Osaka 2007, where he placed fourth.
Fasuba also remains the Nigerian record holder with 9.85 seconds, a mark Ajayi is edging closer to with his lifetime best of 9.88 seconds, set in his first race in Tokyo.
Drawn in the first of three semifinal heats, Ajayi faced a star-studded lineup that included defending champion Noah Lyles of the USA, Olympic gold medalist Marcell Lamont Jacobs of Italy, and South Africa’s Akani Simbine, a three-time World Championship finalist.
Holding his own against such elite company, the young Nigerian displayed composure and raw speed to punch his ticket to the final.
The men’s 100m final promises to be one of the highlights of the championships, featuring a balanced field of four Africans, two Americans, and two Jamaicans. Alongside Ajayi and Simbine, Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo and South Africa’s Gift Leotlela also advanced, underlining Africa’s growing presence in the blue-riband event.
The American duo of Lyles and Kenneth Bednarek and Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson and Oblique Seville complete the lineup.
Ajayi’s rise has been nothing short of remarkable. Once a standout junior athlete, he has swiftly transitioned to the senior stage, delivering consistent sub-10-second performances throughout the 2025 season.
His semifinal time of 9.93s reinforces his status as one of the sport’s brightest young stars and offers Nigeria hope of ending its long wait for a global sprint medal.
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The men’s 100m final will take place on Sunday under the lights of the Japan National Stadium in Tokyo, where Ajayi will aim to follow in Fasuba’s footsteps — and perhaps even go one better.
Unfortunately, the other Nigerian in the 100m semi-final, Israel Okon, couldn’t pull through, having finished 7th in 10.14s in his race.