By Peter Omopo
September 14, 2025 — Nigerian sprinter Konyinsola Ajayi has stormed into the men’s 100m final at the ongoing World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, marking a historic milestone for the country.
On his 21st birthday, Ajayi ran an impressive 9.93 seconds in the semi-finals on Sunday, finishing second behind Olympic champion Noah Lyles (9.92s). South Africa’s Akani Simbine followed closely in third with 9.96s.
This achievement makes Ajayi the first Nigerian in 18 years to reach the men’s 100m final at the World Championships. The last was Olusoji Fasuba, national record holder and former African record holder, who placed fourth in Osaka in 2007.
Ajayi, competing in his debut World Championships, had earlier set a new personal best of 9.88s in the heats on Saturday, ranking him as Nigeria’s third-fastest man of all time.
His compatriot Israel Okon was less fortunate, clocking 10.14s to finish seventh in the third semi-final and missing out on a place in the final.
Other notable qualifiers include Jamaica’s Oblique Seville (9.86s), who leads the pack, and Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo (9.94s).
Ajayi will line up in the highly anticipated men’s 100m final at 2:20 pm (local time) today, with hopes of clinching Nigeria’s first medal in the event in nearly two decades.
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