Ajayi storms 100m final at World Championships on his 21st birthday

Rising Nigerian sprint sensation Konyinsola Ajayi has made history by qualifying for the men’s 100m final at the ongoing 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

On Sunday, which also marked his 21st birthday, Ajayi delivered a blistering performance in the semi-finals, clocking 9.93 seconds – the sixth sub-10s race of his career. He finished just behind Olympic champion Noah Lyles (9.92s), with South Africa’s Akani Simbine placing third at 9.96s.

This achievement makes Ajayi the first Nigerian in 18 years to reach the men’s 100m final at the World Championships, a feat that cements his place among the brightest young sprinters on the global stage.

The last Nigerian to do so was national record holder and former sprinter, Olusoji Fasuba, in 2007. The former African record holder finished fourth in Osaka, Japan.

Ajayi’s compatriot, Israel Okon, couldn’t make the final after running 10.14s and finishing seventh in the third semi-final.

Jamaica’s Oblique Seville (9.86s) and Letsile Tebogo (9.94s) clinched the first and second spots, respectively, in the race.

Ajayi and Okon began their outing in Tokyo on resounding notes on Saturday.

While Ajayi ran a new personal best of 9.88s in the heats, becoming Nigeria’s third fastest man of all time, Okon clocked 10.04s in heat six, finishing ahead of Britain’s Zharnel Hughes, who ran 10.06s, and former Olympic champion Lamont Jacobs, who posted 10.20s.

Ajayi hopes to clinch a medal when he lines up in the men’s 100m final, which will come up at 2:20 pm on Sunday (today).