Kanyinsola Ajayi and Favour Ashe have advanced to the semi-finals of the men’s 100m competition at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Ajayi, 19, achieved a remarkable feat by winning heat 5 with a time of 10.02 seconds, surpassing Davidson Ezinwa’s record for the fastest opening round time by a Nigerian at the Games.
Ajayi’s impressive performance outpaced Olympic champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs of Italy, who finished second with 10.05 seconds, and Ghana’s Abdul-Rasheed Saminu, who took third place with 10.06 seconds.
With a personal best of 10.00 seconds, Ajayi's performance brings him closer to breaking the sub-10-second barrier, showcasing his potential for the final rounds.
Similarly, Ashe, also a student at Auburn University like Ajayi, finished fourth in his heat with a time of 10.16 seconds. After awaiting confirmation as a non-automatic qualifier, Ashe secured his place in the semi-finals.
In the semi-finals, Ajayi will be drawn in heat 2, where he will face Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, South Africa’s Akani Simbine, and USA’s Kenneth Bednarek.
Ashe will compete against Noah Lyles, Oblique Seville, Louie Hinchliffe, Emmanuel Eseme of Cameroon, and Benjamin Azamati of Ghana in his heat.
The Nigerian duo will face tough competition as they aim to advance further in the competition.