Nigeria’s fastest man and Paris 2024 Olympics semifinalist, Konyinsola Ajayi, is set to defend his men’s 100m title at the 2025 national athletics trials, taking place from Friday, August 3 to Sunday, August 5, at Yaba College of Technology, Lagos.
Ajayi, who claimed the national crown last year in Benin City with a time of 10.14s, returns to a competitive field that includes familiar rivals Alaba Akintola, Usheoritse Itsekiri, and rising stars such as Israel Okon, Fakorede Adekalu, Favour Ashe, and Olaolu Olatunde.
“I’m very excited about the competition because this season, we’ve got a lot of guys that have gone under 10.15s, and that’s good competition,” Ajayi said. “With that, I’m excited to see what we all can do on home soil.”
The 20-year-old sprint sensation has enjoyed a breakthrough year, joining Nigeria’s elite sub-10s club. He opened his outdoor season in style by running 9.96s at the 2025 Tom Jones Memorial in Florida, then matched his personal best of 9.92s at the Meeting International Sotteville-lès-Rouen in France earlier this month.
That run—assisted by a legal +1.7 m/s tailwind—saw him beat Cameroonian veteran Emmanuel Eseme (10.04s) and Senegal’s Mamadou Sarr (10.10s), and also rewrite a long-standing meet record previously held by Trinidad’s Keston Bledman (10.02s).
Ajayi’s 9.92s places him tied fourth on Nigeria’s all-time list alongside Seun Ogunkoya and Udodi Onwuzurike, trailing only Olusoji Fasuba (9.85s), Divine Oduduru (9.86s), and Godson Oghenebrume (9.90s).
With four sub-10s to his name—equaling Davidson Ezinwa and Ogunkoya—Ajayi now holds two of the five fastest legal 100m times in Nigerian sprint history.
All eyes will be on him this weekend as he attempts to retain his national crown and solidify his place as Nigeria’s undisputed sprint king.