Paris 2024: Nigeria's Kanyinsola Ajayi Beats Olympics 100m Champ Marcell, Qualifies for Semifinal

Paris 2024: Nigeria's Kanyinsola Ajayi Beats Olympics 100m Champ Marcell, Qualifies for Semifinal

  • Kanyinsola Ajayi has produced an electric performance at the ongoing Paris 2024 Olympic Games in France
  • The Nigerian athlete won Heat 5 of the Men's 100m on Saturday morning, edging Olympic champion Lamont Marcell Jacob to second position
  • Ajayi picked an automatic spot in the semifinal of the Men's 100m, sending a strong signal to other contingents

Nigeria's Kanyinsola Ajayi has put everyone on notice, running through to win Heat 5 of Men's 100m on Saturday morning.

After crossing the finish line in a time of 10.02s (-0.3), Ajayi defeated the Olympic champion, Italy's Lamont Marcell Jacobs, who finished second in 10.05s.

Ghana's Abdul-Rasheed Saminu came in 3rd in a time of 10.06s during the highly-anticipated race.

Kanyinsola Ajayi is through to the Men's 100m semifinal at Paris 2024 Olympics
Kanyinsola Ajayi is through to the Men's 100m semifinal at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Photo: @MakingOfChamps.
Source: Twitter

The newly-crowned Nigerian champion, Ajayi, is enjoying an amazing year, having won the African Championships in Douala, Cameroon, in June.

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Reaching the semis of the Summer Games marks a significant milestone in his career, which highlights his potential to win a medal in his Olympic debut.

He has made a statement in Paris, especially after outpacing the likes of Jacobs, who came into the event as the favourite, having won the gold medal in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

According to Sports247, his incredible feat adds to Nigeria’s growing list of achievements at the Paris Olympics.

He returns on Sunday evening for the Men's 100m semi-final on Sunday, August 4.

The 19-year-old will be hoping for another successful outcome as the semifinals and final take place tomorrow evening.

He joins compatriot Enekwechi Chukwuebuka, who made headlines by qualifying for the shot-put final on Saturday.

Nigeria crash out of Women's football

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D'Tigress coach names her standout moment from the Paris Olympics: video

Legit.ng earlier reported that the Super Falcons head coach, Randy Waldrum, says the team's poor performance at the Paris 2024 Olympic games was due to inadequate preparation.

After losing all their matches, Nigeria crashed out of the Summer Games in the preliminary stage.

The Nigerian women's national football team were eliminated from the Olympic Games, and Waldrum believes this was due to poor preparation.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Babajide Orevba avatar

Babajide Orevba (Sports Editor) Babajide Orevba is a CAF-accredited Nigerian journalist, digital publishing expert, researcher, writer and TV analyst. He has covered several major football tournaments including FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, AFCON, CAF Competitions as well as grassroots competitions within Nigeria. Email: babajide.orevba@corp.legit.ng

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