Nigeria’s Kayinsola Ajayi booked his place in the men’s 100m semi-finals at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo after clocking a blistering 9.88 seconds in the heats on Saturday.
Ajayi finished second in his heat behind South Africa’s Gift Leotlel, who crossed the line in 9.87 seconds. His sub-10-second performance is the ninth-fastest time in the world this year, underlining his rising status in global sprinting.
Competing under a favourable wind speed of 0.3 m/s, the Nigerian sprinter held off a strong challenge to secure automatic qualification.
Elsewhere, Noah Lyles of the United States powered to victory in his heat with a time of 9.95 seconds, while Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake followed in 10.07 seconds.
The semi-finals of the prestigious 100m event are scheduled for Sunday at 11:45 GMT, with the final to follow at 13:20 GMT in Tokyo.
Nigeria’s Sprint Star Ajayi Qualifies for 100m Semi-Finals at World Athletics Championships Tokyo
