Ajayi, Okon storm into 100m Semifinals at Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships

Nigeria opened its campaign on a promising note at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo as sprinters Kayinsola Ajayi and Israel Okon Sunday secured places in the men’s 100m semifinals.

Ajayi, competing in his first World Championships, ran a blistering 9.88 seconds to finish second in his heat behind South Africa’s Gift Leotlela, who clocked 9.87s. Jamaica’s Oblique Seville followed in 9.93s.

The performance marked a new personal best for Ajayi and elevated him to third on Nigeria’s all-time list, behind Olusoji Fasuba (9.85s) and Divine Oduduru (9.86s).

The 21-year-old has now registered five sub-10 second runs this season, equalling the national record for the most sub-10s in a career.

In another heat, debutant Israel Okon Sunday stunned the field by winning in 10.04 seconds, edging past Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes (10.06s) and Olympic champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs (10.20s).

Ajayi will contest Semifinal 1, where he faces Noah Lyles, Akani Simbine, Ackeem Blake and Jacobs. Okon will compete in Semifinal 3, lining up against Seville, Letsile Tebogo, Leotlela and other top contenders.

Nigeria also had representation in the field events, with national shot put record-holder Chukwuebuka Enekwechi finishing fifth in the final after a best effort of 21.52m, having earlier qualified with 20.83m.

Competition continues on Day 2, Sunday, September 14, as Team Nigeria seeks to build on its encouraging start.

The 2025 World Athletics Championships began on Saturday in Tokyo and will run until September 21.