Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan underlined her status as one of the world’s elite hurdlers with a commanding performance in the women’s 100m hurdles at the World Championships in Tokyo.

The World Record holder comfortably won heat 6 on Saturday, clocking 12.53 seconds to advance to the semifinals. She finished ahead of Bahamian star Devynne Charlton, who ran 12.69s.

Amusan, who is bidding for another world title, will return to the track on Monday as she continues her campaign in Tokyo.

Her strong opener adds to Nigeria’s growing presence at this year’s championships, coming on the heels of Kanyinsola Ajayi’s history-making run in the men’s 100m event.

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Nigeria’s rising sprint sensation, Israel Okon Sunday, announced himself on the global stage in spectacular fashion on Day 1 of the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, storming to victory in his men’s 100m heat and leaving some of the world’s finest sprinters trailing.

Making his debut at the senior World Championships, the 20-year-old ran with remarkable composure, clocking 10.04 seconds to finish first in his heat.

In doing so, he upstaged reigning Olympic champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs, who could only manage third place in 10.20s, and Britain’s Zharnel Hughes, the European record-holder, who finished second in 10.06s.

Okon’s fearless run was one of the standout performances of the night, as he showed no signs of nerves competing against established global stars on the same Tokyo track where Jacobs won Olympic gold four years ago.

With the victory, Okon advances to the semifinals, where he will face a tough field that includes Jamaica’s Oblique Seville, Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, and Canada’s Andre De Grasse.

His stunning debut added to a strong Day 1 for Nigeria in Tokyo, with fellow sprinter Kayinsola Ajayi also qualifying for the 100m semifinals after clocking a blistering 9.88s, making him the third-fastest Nigerian of all time. In the field, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi impressed in the Shot Put, reaching the final and placing fifth overall.

For Okon, however, the spotlight now burns brightest. By toppling an Olympic champion and a European record-holder in his very first global outing, he has marked himself as one of the names to watch as the Tokyo Championships unfold.

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Nigeria’s national record-holder in the men’s Shot Put, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, has booked his place in the final of the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.

Enekwechi delivered a consistent performance in Friday’s qualification round, recording a best throw of 20.83 metres. The effort placed him 5th in Group Aand7th overall, well inside the top 12 required to advance to the final.

The achievement is particularly significant for the 31-year-old as it marks his fifth World Championships appearance. It also serves as redemption after he narrowly missed out on reaching the final in Budapest two years ago.

His qualification series underlined his steady form:

• First attempt: 20.83m
• Second attempt: 20.71m
• Third attempt: 20.83m

Though the leading throwers surpassed 21 metres, Enekwechi’s composure and consistency ensured safe passage to the medal round.

The Nigerian will now turn his attention to the final, where he hopes to translate this momentum into a podium finish and further cement his status among the world’s elite throwers.

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