The 2025 World Championships, the 20th edition of the biannual global track and field fest, has been underway in Tokyo, Japan, from Saturday, 13 September, and ends on Sunday 21 September.

With over 2,000 athletes from 200 countries involved in 49 events in this year’s World Athletics Championships, Nigeria’s delegation comprises 15 athletes who have represented the country across 11 different events at Tokyo. As in the past, familiar administrative lapses have caused national embarrassment. Notable among them is the poor standard of kits provided to Nigerian athletes, compared with their foreign counterparts, as revealed by Tobi Amusan.

But without dwelling much on these, some Nigerian athletes, including the inevitable Amusan, have risen to the occasion in Tokyo, with their various inspiring feats deserving of far greater attention. 

Kayinsola Ajayi – Men’s 100m

Kayinsola Ajayi, one of Nigeria’s outstanding athletes and a prospect of much weight, remained one of the country’s brightest performers at the Tokyo Championships. The Ikorodu-born sprinter entered the history books by becoming the first Nigerian athlete to proceed to the World Championships 100m final in 18 years on Sunday, September 14. Interestingly, Ajayi clocked 21 on the day, and he ran a blistering 9.93s, finishing behind Olympic champion Noah Lyles in second place, and making it to the final as the first Nigerian since Olusoji Fasuba last did in 2007.

A few hours later, Ajayi raced in the anticipated final but fell short of a medal by whiskers after finishing sixth with a time of 10.00 seconds. However, it’s hardly a disappointing loss for the debutant who watched on as Jamaica’s Oblique Seville clinched gold with 9.77s, South Africa’s Kishane Thompson secured silver with 9.82s, while Olympic champion Noah Lyles of the United States took bronze in 9.89s.

Tobi Amusan – Women’s 100mH

The legend of Oluwatobi Amusan further grew at the Tokyo 2025 Championships. Where the rising force Ajayi missed the podium by whiskers, the 28-year-old veteran hurdler steadied herself to become Nigeria’s sole medalist at the event. Tobi, the world record holder in the women’s 100m hurdles (a record she set in Oregon 2022), booked an automatic spot in the semifinals after cruising to victory in a time of 12.53s to finish first in heat six.

In the semifinal on Monday, Tobi crossed the line in 12.36 seconds to win heat two ahead of Paris 2025 Diamond League champion Grace Stark, Olympic champion Masai Russell, and Nadine Visser, the world number two-ranked sprinter. In the final later on Monday, Tobi blazed to a blistering 12.29s to win the silver medal behind surprise winner Ditaji Kambundji, who took gold with a personal best of 12.24s. This makes Tobi Nigeria’s first two-time women’s 100mH medalist in World Championships history. She also joins the elite ranks of Blessing Okagbare and Ese Brume, who are the only Nigerians with multiple individual medals in World Championships history.

Ezekiel Nathaniel – Men’s 400mH

Ezekiel Nathaniel ended Nigeria’s 38-year wait for representation in the men’s 400m hurdles final at the Tokyo 2025 Championships. The 21-year-old, who is also the reigning NCAA champion, ran 47.47 seconds to secure automatic qualification while placing first ahead of Qatar’s Ismail Abakar, who clocked a personal best of 47.61s, and the United States’ Caleb Dean, who finished third in 47.85s.

It was the first time a Nigerian made it to the event final at the World Championships since Henry Amike in 1987 in Italy, where he eventually finished sixth in 48.63s. In the final on Friday, Ezekiel had a remarkable and dramatic outing as he broke the national record in the men’s 400m hurdles with a blistering 47.11 seconds to finish fourth.

The officials initially upgraded him to the bronze medal after the USA’s Rai Benjamin was stripped of his gold medal for knocking over a hurdle before crossing the line in 46.54s. However, after an appeal reinstated Benjamin’s result, Ezekiel was returned to fourth place. Despite the disappointment, the Nigerian hurdler can take solace in finishing ahead of the world record holder and breaking Nigeria’s national record for the sixth time this year. His 47.11s finish also placed him just 0.01s shy of the African record.