At the ongoing Paris Olympics, Team Nigeria faced a significant setback as athletes Kayinsola Ajayi and Favour Ashe failed to secure spots in the men’s 100m final.
In Heat 1, Favour Ashe finished in 6th place with a time of 10.08 seconds.
The race was won by Jamaica’s Oblique Seville, who set a new personal best of 9.81 seconds, beating favorite Noah Lyles of the USA, who finished second with a time of 9.83 seconds.
In Heat 2, Nigeria’s Kayinsola Ajayi also placed 6th, clocking in at 10.16 seconds.
South Africa’s Akani Simbine triumphed in this heat with a stellar time of 9.87 seconds.
Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo claimed the second automatic qualifying spot with a time of 9.91 seconds, while Olympic champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs of Italy finished third, equaling his season’s best at 9.92 seconds.
Jacobs now awaits to see if he qualifies based on time.
Additionally, Nigeria’s Chidi Okezie competed in Heat 1 of the men’s 400m, finishing 4th with a time of 45.52 seconds.
He will return for the repechage round for another chance to reach the semi-finals.
Great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith won the heat in 44.78 seconds, followed by USA’s Chris Bailey in 44.89 seconds, and Norway’s Havard Inngvaldsen in 45.46 seconds.
