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Kanyinsola Ajayi has reached the World Championships 100m final.
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He ends an 18-year wait for Nigeria in the event.
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His run sparks hope for the country’s sprinting future.
Nigeria’s Kanyinsola Ajayi has ended an 18-year drought for the country in the men’s 100 metres at the World Athletics Championships, booking a place in Sunday’s final after a superb 9.93-second run in the semifinals in Tokyo.
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At just 20 years old, Ajayi ran with poise under pressure, finishing second in his semi and earning automatic qualification.
Earlier in the meet he recorded a lifetime best of 9.88 seconds, a sign that he has stepped up his sprinting form this season.
The significance is immediate and clear. No Nigerian man has made the World Championships 100m final since Olusoji Fasuba reached the last eight in Osaka in 2007.
Fasuba’s 9.85s still stands as Nigeria’s national record – the mark Ajayi is chasing as he blossoms into one of the sport’s brightest young sprinters.
Ajayi’s semifinal was stacked with elite names, yet he matched stride for stride with top opponents.
The final lines up Kanyinsola Ajayi against a world-class field, including the defending champion and top sprinters from the USA and Jamaica.
With veterans and rising stars going head-to-head, this race has become one of the championships’ biggest attractions.
For Nigeria, Kanyinsola Ajayi’s run means more than a personal milestone.
It sparks fresh hope for sprinting on the world stage and could spur more investment and attention toward the country’s short-distance programme.
His fast times this season show he can already compete with the world’s best, and he should only get sharper as he gains more experience.
Meanwhile, team-mate Israel Okon was unable to match Ajayi’s form, finishing seventh in his semifinal in 10.14 seconds and falling short of the final.
Still, Ajayi’s breakthrough is the headline: a young sprinter carrying the green-white-green back to a World Championships 100m final after nearly two decades.
What to watch on race night: Ajayi’s start and his drive phase will matter most against explosive starters such as Kishane Thompson and Oblique Seville.
If Ajayi puts together a clean race, he can challenge his personal best under the lights and give Nigeria a genuine shot at a historic sprint performance.
