Ashe sets new Nigerian 100M record

Nigerian youngster Favour Ashe has become the first Nigerian to run sub-10 five times doing so in three consecutive years, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Ashe achieved the new record in the men’s 100m at the NCAA East Prelims in the United States on Friday.

The 22-year-old now has the highest sub-10 clockings in history by a Nigerian, having done it five times in his career, surpassing all-time greats like Davidson Ezinwa, Olapade Adeniken, Divine Oduduru, Deji Aliu and Olusoji Fasuba.

Ashe stormed to a new Personal Best (PB) of 9.94s(+1.4) in the men’s 100m at the NCAA East Prelims, the fastest time in the NCAA this year and the second fastest in the world this year.

The feat saw him book his spot at the NCAA Outdoor Championships which begins June 7 in the United States of America and looks like a red-hot favourite for the title in Eugene.

Earlier this year, Ashe became the fastest man in 2024 after blazing to a Paris Olympics qualifying standard at the Florida Relays.

The athlete, popularly called ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ blazed to the world’s fastest time and was the first sub-10s runner in 2024 to qualify for the Paris Olympic Games.

He beat the field by a mile, with Jamarion Stubbs coming in second in 10.18s and Jamal Miller third in 10.19s.

Ashe is the second Nigerian to produce a world lead this year after African Games gold medallist, Consider Ekanem, ran 10.10s at the inaugural Dynamic Outdoor Meet held on January 27 at the Nigerian Navy Sports Centre, Ojo, Lagos.

He will also hope to put Nigeria in the final of the men’s 100m again at the Olympics after Enoch Adegoke became the first man since Davidson Ezinwa and Olapade Adeniken to reach the 100m final of the Olympic Games.

With his season’s debut performance at the Florida Relays, surely the Auburn University sophomore student-athlete has more in his legs and will only get faster as the season progresses.