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Kanyinsola Ajayi's fearless victory against defending Olympic champion in the 100m heats in Paris, is a testament to his talent as Nigeria's next big speed star and one to bank on in futture.
Nigeria's 100m champion Kanyinsola Ajayi showcased his exceptional talent on the big stage as a future star, after defeating defending Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs in the 100m heats at Paris 2024 Olympics.
Running on lane 2 in heat 5, Ajayi blazed past an experienced field to dominate the race in a brilliant 10.02s, finishing ahead of Jacobs in 10.05s, while Abdul-Rasheed Saminu was a close third in 10.06s.
The 19-year-old who was the youngest in the lineup, proved he's one to watchout for and can be a potential finalist if he continues with his form and fierce attitude in the semifinals.
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Ajayi has had a breakout year since his move to study on scholarship at the University of Auburn in the United States. He immediately made his presence felt in the college circuit by running a series of Personal Bests (PBs) in the indoor season and winning the SouthEastern Conference 60m title.
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14:34 - 23.02.2023
EXCLUSIVE Meet Kanyinsola Ajayi, the new speedster gunning to break into the 'Big 5' of Nigeria's top sprinters
In an exclusive interview with Kanyinsola Ajayi, he talks on his goals of running at the World Championships in Budapest.
Not resting on his oars, the youngster made his debut at the NCAA Championships and made it count with a shining bronze medal in the 100m final in a then PB of 10.01s.
Ajayi continued to improve and stayed consistent in his performances, adding the Nigerian title and African championships silver medal, as well as winning two professional races in his final buildup before Paris - the last in Luzern resulting in a PB of 10.00s.
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02:02 - 17.06.2024
2024 Nigeria Olympic Trials: Kanyinsola Ajayi wins National 100m title in Benin, emerging as the new speed champion
Kanyinsola Ajayi's tremendous 2024 season so far has been crowned with the national title after winning the Nigeria Olympic trials in Benin.
With his exceptional performance against the Olympic champion, Ajayi is definitely on track to lower his PB and cause a major upset against the big guns in Paris with a final berth, which will be the perfect icing to his exceptional season.
Meanwhile, Favour Ashe also qualified for the 100m semifinal after finishing fourth in his heat race.
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