By Peter Omopo
Nigerian sprinter Alaba Akintola continued his stellar form on the U.S. collegiate athletics circuit with a commanding victory in the men’s 200 metres at the Music City Challenge held at the Vanderbilt Track & Field Facility in Nashville, Tennessee.
Competing for Middle Tennessee State University, the 22-year-old clocked 20.50 seconds (+0.9 m/s wind) to finish ahead of Antonio Lay (20.64s) and John Sherman (20.72s), securing another notable win in his 2025 season campaign.
Akintola also impressed in the men’s 100 metres, posting 10.30 seconds (+1.3 m/s wind) in the heats to qualify for the final, where he ultimately placed third. His consistent performances across both sprint events reinforce his status as one of Nigeria’s most promising track athletes.
A key member of Nigeria’s 4x100m relay team, Akintola was instrumental in the squad’s gold medal win at the 2024 African Games in Accra, and also contributed to the bronze-medal effort at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
