Nigeria’s sprint sensation Kanyinsola Ajayi marked his 21st birthday in style on Sunday by competing in the men’s 100 metres final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo — ending the country’s 18-year wait for representation in the event’s climax.

Ajayi, who had stunned the field earlier in the day with a 9.93s semifinal run, lined up alongside the world’s best in the highly anticipated final at 14:20 local time. He held his own on the global stage, clocking 10.00 seconds to finish sixth in a race that confirmed Jamaica’s resurgence in sprinting.

Oblique Seville stormed to victory in a personal best of 9.77s, leading a Jamaican one-two as Kishane Thompson followed in 9.82s. Olympic champion Noah Lyles of the United States took bronze in a season’s best 9.89s, while compatriot Kenneth Bednarek (9.92s) and South Africa’s Gift Leotlela (9.95s) also edged ahead of Ajayi.

Despite missing out on a podium place, Ajayi’s achievement stands as a milestone for Nigerian athletics. He became the first Nigerian man since Olusoji Fasuba in 2007 to feature in a World Championships 100m final, rekindling memories of the nation’s proud sprinting legacy.

South Africa’s Akani Simbine finished seventh in 10.04s, while Botswana’s teenage star Letsile Tebogo was disqualified for a false start.

Ajayi’s breakthrough is already being hailed as the spark Nigeria has long awaited in men’s sprinting, with his Tokyo exploits positioning him as the face of the next generation.

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History was made on Sunday at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo as Nigeria’s Kanyinsola Ajayi stormed into the men’s 100m final, ending the country’s 18-year absence in the event’s biggest stage.

The 21-year-old sprinter clocked an eye-catching 9.93 seconds in the semifinals, finishing behind Olympic champion Noah Lyles of the United States to book his place in the final. In doing so, Ajayi became the first Nigerian man since Olusoji Fasuba in Osaka 2007 to qualify for a World Championships 100m final.

On his debut in the highly anticipated showdown, Ajayi produced another strong run, finishing sixth with a time of 10.00 seconds. Though he narrowly missed out on the medals, his achievement was historic as he celebrated his 21st birthday with a landmark performance for Nigerian sprinting.

The final was dominated by Jamaica, with Oblique Seville powering to gold and Kishane Thompson claiming silver. Lyles, the reigning Olympic champion, settled for bronze.

Ajayi’s breakthrough is expected to reignite Nigeria’s sprinting tradition, which has been searching for a new talisman since Fasuba’s 2007 heroics.

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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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