Nigerian sprinter Kanyinsola Ajayi has written his name into the history books, becoming the first Nigerian man in 18 years to qualify for the 100m final at the World Athletics Championships, Bold Sports reports.
Ajayi clocked an impressive 9.93 seconds to finish second in his semifinal heat at the Tokyo 2025 World Championships, booking his place in the final and matching the feat last achieved by Olusoji Fasuba at the 2007 edition in Osaka, Japan.
For Ajayi, who is celebrating his birthday today, the qualification could not have been a more fitting gift. It also marks his first-ever appearance in a global final, a testament to his rapid rise in world sprinting.
The men’s 100m final will see a strong African presence, with four athletes from the continent making up half of the eight-man lineup. Alongside Ajayi, Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo (9.94, SB), and South Africa’s duo Gift Leotlela (9.95) and Akani Simbine (9.96) all progressed to the medal showdown.
More Read
They will face off against some of the world’s fastest men, including Noah Lyles and Kenneth Bednarek of the United States, as well as Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson and Oblique Seville.
Tonight’s final promises to be one of the most thrilling in recent memory, with Africa boasting its strongest representation on the global stage in years.
Ajayi’s record-breaking performance not only signals a resurgence of Nigerian sprinting on the world stage but also ignites hope that he could go one step further and challenge for a medal in the highly anticipated final.
© Bold Sports Media. All rights reserved. If sharing, kindly credit Bold Sports as the source and include a link to the original post. Unauthorised use is prohibited.
