Kanyinsola Ajayi from Ikorodu Qualifies for Olympic Semifinals in Men’s 100m

Kanyinsola Ajayi, a 19-year-old from Ikorodu, has made an impressive Olympic debut by reaching the semifinals of the men’s 100m event at Paris 2024.

Ajayi clocked 10.02 seconds (-0.3) to win heat 5, setting a new record for the fastest opening round time by a Nigerian at the Games, surpassing Davidson Ezinwa’s previous mark of 10.03 seconds.

Ajayi’s victory saw him outpace reigning Olympic champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs of Italy, who finished second in 10.05s, and Ghana’s Abdul-Rasheed Saminu in third with 10.06s.

Joining him in the semifinals is another Nigerian, Favour Ashe, also a student at Auburn University in the USA, who secured his spot with a fourth-place finish in his heat, clocking 10.16 seconds.