Nigeria’s two representatives in the men’s 100-meter event at the ongoing Olympics in Paris, Kayinsola Ajayi and Favour Ashe, have booked their spots in the semi-final. While Ajayi won his heat, Ashe qualified as one of the fastest fourth-placed finishers.
Ajayi outran defending Olympic champion, Lamont Marcell Jacobs, clocking 10.02s, while the Italian finished in 10.05s in heat 5. Ghana’s Abdul-Rasheed Saminu finished third in 10.06s.
Ashe, who ran in heat 4, finished in 10.16s behind Jamaica’s Oblique Seville (9.99s), Japan’s Hakim Brown (10.02s), and Thailand’s Puripol Boonson (10.13s).
For Sunday’s semi-finals, Ashe will run in heat 1 and face USA’s Noah Lyles, Jamaica’s Oblique Seville, Great Britain’s Louie Hinchliffe, Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme, and Ghana’s Benjamin Azamati.
Ajayi comes up against Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, South Africa’s Akani Simbine, USA’s Kenneth Bednarek, and defending champion Jacobs.
Both athletes are competing at their first Olympic Games and will have to improve to make the final.
This achievement is a significant milestone for Nigerian athletics, and the country eagerly awaits the outcome of the semi-finals.
