Amusan, Ajayi, Nathaniel and three relay teams sealed for Beijing 2027
Nigeria already has six entries for next year's World Championships, including a mixed relay team that set an African record.
By SitesNG Sports Desk · · 2 min read
A year out from the 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing (11 to 19 September 2027), Nigeria already knows six of its entries. Tobi Amusan, Kayinsola Ajayi and Ezekiel Nathaniel have met the standards, and three relay teams booked their places at the World Relays in Gaborone in May.
The individual stars
Kayinsola Ajayi, 21, has had a breakthrough season. He won NCAA indoor and outdoor sprint titles, broke Olusoji Fasuba's national 100m record with 9.84, won at the Prefontaine Classic and London Diamond League, took Commonwealth bronze in Glasgow and finished fourth in the 100m final at the Ultimate Championship in Budapest in 9.93, the fastest African in the race.
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“It was a good fight. I put in all my effort.”
Kayinsola Ajayi, after the Budapest final
Tobi Amusan, the 2022 world champion, won 100m hurdles silver in Budapest on 11 September in 12.34, earning 75,000 dollars. Ezekiel Nathaniel won Commonwealth 400m hurdles gold in Glasgow, was third at the Diamond League Final in Zurich in 47.50 and reached the Budapest final. His national record of 47.11 was set at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.
The relays
| Relay | Time | Where | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women's 4x100m | 42.94 | Gaborone, 3 May | Nwankwo, Obi Chukwuka, Omokwe, Ezechukwu |
| Mixed 4x100m | 40.24 (African record) | Gaborone, 2 May | Ashe, Obi Chukwuka, Ezeakor, Omokwe |
| Mixed 4x400m | 3:12.88 | Gaborone, 3 May | Samson Nathaniel, Kudoro, Okezie, George |
The mixed 4x100m team's African record of 40.24 came in the heats; they went on to finish sixth in the final, won by Jamaica in a world record.
How qualifying works
World Athletics fills about 40 per cent of places through entry standards and 60 per cent through world rankings. The men's 100m standard is 9.95. Relay places were decided at the World Relays in Gaborone, where the top teams in each event booked their tickets. More Nigerians are expected to join the list over the next 11 months.
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Amusan goes to Beijing as a former world champion and former world record holder: she won the 2022 world title in Eugene after running 12.12, a record that the United States' Masai Russell lowered to 12.09 in Zurich in August 2026.
Follow Nigeria's sprinters every week on our Nigerian athletes abroad tracker, and read Tobi Amusan's profile.
Reporting by the SitesNG Sports Desk, based on reports from BellaNaija, Premium Times, BusinessDay, Vanguard, World Athletics, Leadership. Published 21 September 2026 in the African Sports News weekly edition of 30 September 2026.
