Naija Excellence: Young Nigerian sprinters go 1-2-3 to dominate men's 100m event in Switzerland

Israel Okon Sunday has made the 100m semifinals in his world championships debut

Naija Excellence: Young Nigerian sprinters go 1-2-3 to dominate men's 100m event in Switzerland

Funmilayo Fameso 14:55 - 16.07.2025

Three Nigerian sprinters stole the spotlight at the Spitzen Leichtathletik Luzern meet in Switzerland as they finished 1-2-3 to dominate the men's 100m event.

Rising sprint sensations Israel Okon Sunday, Kanyinsola Ajayi, and Favour Ashe showed the true meaning of 'Naija excellence' after dominating the men's 100m event at the Spitzen Leichtathletik Luzern meet in Switzerland.

Top of the list is Israel Okon Sunday, who impressively won the B final in a new Personal Best (PB) of 10.06s (0.0), finishing ahead of his senior compatriot Favour Ashe in 10.16s.

The 18-year-old Auburn University sophomore has had an outstanding breakout 2025 season, having produced brilliant performances in his freshman year in the US collegiate circuit, now extending to the professional scene.

Israel Okon Sunday before winning his 100m race in Switzerland

He's yet to hit the qualifying standard for the World Championships in Tokyo this September. Still, with his string of consistent time drops in his past few races, it's only a matter of time before he finally breaks the sub-10s barrier.

Consequently, Kanyinsola Ajayi convincingly won the A race in 10.09s, extending his unbeaten run in the post-collegiate season to make bold statements on his preparations ahead of the World Championships in Tokyo.

The 20-year-old Auburn University junior now has back-to-back wins, having dominated the Guldensporen Meeting in Kortrijk days before, clocking 10.09s (-0.3).

Ajayi is currently the only Nigerian sprinter who has hit the World Championships qualifying standard, with his PB of 9.92s clocked earlier in the season guaranteeing his ticket to Tokyo.

Kanyinsola Ajayi and Favour Ashe after their races in Luzern

With their performances in Switzerland, the talented youngsters will aim to improve in their subsequent races as they look ahead to the Nigerian trials in a few weeks and maintain the right shape for the World Championships.