Nigeria shines in Tokyo: Ajayi, Okon advance, as Enekwechi battles to 5th
Nigeria made a strong impression on Day 1 of the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, with sprinters Kayinsola Ajayi and Israel Okon Sunday delivering standout performances to qualify for the men’s 100m semi-finals.
Ajayi, making his World Championships debut, clocked a blistering 9.88s in his heat to smash his personal best. It was one of the night’s top performances, earning him the status of the third-fastest Nigerian in history, behind Olusoji Fasuba (9.85s) and Divine Oduduru (9.86s).
The 21-year-old has now run five sub-10 second races this season—the most ever by a Nigerian in a single year—and ties the national record for the most sub-10s in a career. He finished second in his heat behind South Africa’s Gift Leotlela, who ran a new PB of 9.87s, while Jamaica’s Oblique Seville took third in 9.93s.
Israel Okon Sunday also impressed on his senior global debut, winning his heat in 10.04s. He crossed the line ahead of Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes (10.06s) and Olympic champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs (10.20s), who won gold in Tokyo in 2021.
The semi-finals promise intense competition. Ajayi will face Noah Lyles, Akani Simbine, Ackeem Blake, and Jacobs in Semi-final 1. Okon will line up in Semi-final 3 against Seville, Letsile Tebogo, Leotlela, Courtney Lindsey, Abdul-Rasheed Saminu, Romell Glave, and Andre De Grasse.
In field events, Nigeria’s Shot Put record-holder Chukwuebuka Enekwechi also advanced to the final after throwing 20.83m in the qualification round, showcasing consistency on the big stage.
In the final, Enekwechi battled hard and placed 5th overall with a season-best throw of 21.52m, achieved in the sixth round. He narrowly missed out on a historic podium finish.
Overall, it was a promising start for Team Nigeria, with the sprinters and shot putter raising hopes for medals in the days ahead.
