Nigeria’s sprint hopes remain alive as Kayinsola Ajayi and Israel Okon advanced to the men’s 100m semi-finals of the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
The semi-final start-list, unveiled ahead of Sunday night’s action, sets the stage for an explosive showdown featuring Olympic champions, world medalists, and emerging sprint stars.
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Ajayi will race in Semi-Final 1 at 20:45, facing tough competition from Olympic champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs, world 200m champion Noah Lyles, and South African veteran Akani Simbine.
With a season’s best of 9.88 seconds, Ajayi enters the heat as one of the fastest men in the field, level on time with Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake.
His consistency this season makes him a strong contender for a place in the final.
Isreal Okon lines up in Semi-Final 3 at 20:59, where he will confront a stacked field led by Jamaica’s Oblique Seville, Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, and Ghana’s Abdul-Rasheed Saminu.
Okon, who clocked 10.03 seconds this season, will need to produce a near-perfect race to secure qualification against opponents boasting sub-9.90 personal bests.
The format remains straightforward: the first two finishers in each semi-final (Q), and the next two fastest overall (q), will book their place in the highly anticipated final.
With margins expected to be razor-thin, execution out of the blocks and top-end speed will prove decisive.
Nigeria last celebrated a men’s 100m finalist at the World Championships decades ago.
The presence of Ajayi and Okon rekindles hope for a breakthrough on the global stage.
Against fierce opposition from sprint powerhouses USA, Jamaica, and Great Britain, their progress to the semis already marks a commendable achievement.
With Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium primed for fireworks, Nigerian fans will watch anxiously as Ajayi and Okon attempt to sprint their way into history.
The Full Start List
Semi Final 1 – 14 September 2025 | 20:45
Lamont Marcell Jacobs (Italy) – Season’s Best: 10.20 | Personal Best: 9.80
Eliezer Adjibi (Canada) – SB: 10.02 | PB: 10.02
Ackeem Blake (Jamaica) – SB: 9.88 | PB: 9.88
Noah Lyles (USA) – SB: 9.90 | PB: 9.79
Akani Simbine (South Africa) – SB: 9.90 | PB: 9.82
Kayinsola Ajayi (Nigeria) – SB: 9.88 | PB: 9.88
Jeremiah Azu (Great Britain) – SB: 9.97 | PB: 9.97
Elvis Afrifa (Netherlands) – SB: 10.09 | PB: 10.09
Semi Final 2 – 14 September 2025 | 20:52
Ronal Longa (Colombia) – SB: 9.96 | PB: 9.96
Ferdinand Omanyala (Kenya) – SB: 10.00 | PB: 9.77
Kenneth Bednarek (USA) – SB: 9.79 | PB: 9.79
Kishane Thompson (Jamaica) – SB: 9.75 | PB: 9.75
Zharnel Hughes (Great Britain) – SB: 9.91 | PB: 9.83
Jerome Blake (Canada) – SB: 9.95 | PB: 9.95
Terrence Jones (Bahamas) – SB: 10.08 | PB: 9.91
Puripol Boonson (Thailand) – SB: 10.15 | PB: 10.06
Semi Final 3 – 14 September 2025 | 20:59
Romell Glave (Great Britain) – SB: 10.00 | PB: 10.00
Andre De Grasse (Canada) – SB: 10.15 | PB: 9.89
Gift Leotlela (South Africa) – SB: 9.87 | PB: 9.87
Letsile Tebogo (Botswana) – SB: 10.03 | PB: 9.86
Abdul-Rasheed Saminu (Ghana) – SB: 9.84 | PB: 9.84
Israel Okon (Nigeria) – SB: 10.03 | PB: 10.03
Oblique Seville (Jamaica) – SB: 9.83 | PB: 9.81
Courtney Lindsey (USA) – SB: 9.82 | PB: 9.82
