Kanyinsola Ajayi breaks 18-years Nigerian Curse after reaching World Athletics Championships 100m Final
Nigeria’s sprinting revival has taken a historic leap forward as Kanyinsola Ajayi stormed into the men’s 100m final at the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships.
By clocking an electrifying 9.93 seconds in the semifinal, Ajayi became the first Nigerian man in 18 years—since Olusoji Fasuba in Osaka 2007—to reach the final of the world’s most prestigious sprint event.
The 22-year-old, competing in Heat 1 of the semifinals, showed composure and raw speed as he crossed the line just behind American star Noah Lyles, who won the heat in 9.92 seconds. Ajayi’s performance was enough to secure automatic qualification for the final, edging out South Africa’s Akani Simbine (9.96s) in third.
Semifinal 1 Results (Tokyo 2025 Men’s 100m)
Noah Lyles (USA) – 9.92s
Kanyinsola Ajayi (NGR) – 9.93s
Akani Simbine (RSA) – 9.96s
This remarkable run also marked Ajayi’s second sub-10 performance at the championships, underlining his consistency and his emergence as a genuine force on the global stage.
Meanwhile, Ajayi’s compatriot Sunday Israel Okon, who had impressed in the preliminary rounds by defeating Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs, fell short in Semifinal 3. The 20-year-old Nigerian clocked 10.14s, finishing outside the qualification spots, but his performances throughout the competition have fueled optimism about Nigeria’s growing sprint depth.
With Ajayi breaking an 18-year drought for Nigeria in the men’s 100m final, expectations are high as he prepares to battle against the world’s elite sprinters in what promises to be a thrilling showdown under the Tokyo lights.
This achievement symbolizes not just a personal milestone for Ajayi, but also a new dawn for Nigerian athletics. The combination of Ajayi’s breakthrough and Okon’s rising potential signals a bright future for Nigerian sprinting on the global stage.
