Nigerian sprint sensation Kanyinsola Ajayi has stormed into the men’s 100m final at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo to become the first Nigerian athlete to reach the event’s final since Olusoji Fasuba in Osaka 2007. He broke the 18 years jinx of Nigeria having no in the finals of the 100 Meters dash.
Ajayi, who clocked 21 on Sunday, finished in a time of 10.00s. Jamaica’s Oblique Seville took the title with a new personal best of 9.77s, followed by his Jamaican teammate Kishane Thompson in second with a time of 9.82s, while former world champion Noah Lyles took bronze with a season’s best of 9.89s.
The final served some tensions as Olympic 200m champion, Letsile Tebogo, was dismissed for a false start.
Running between the African record holder, Akani Simbine, and Lyles, Ajayi got off the blocks to jostle for a place on the podium, but he fell short as Seville strode from behind to beat Thompson.
USA’s Kenneth Bednraeck and South Africa’s Gift Leotlela finished fourth and fifth, respectively, while Ajayi had Simbine trailing him.
Earlier in the day, Ajayi ran the sixth sub-10s race of his budding career in the semi-finals, posting a time of 9.93s to finish second behind Olympic champion Lyles (9.92s), while South Africa’s Simbine came third in a time of 9.96s.
