Alaba Akintola eyes sprint double and Tokyo qualification at Arcobaleno AtleticaEuropa 2025 in Italy

Two-time Nigerian sprint champion and African Games 200m finalist, Alaba Akintola, is set to headline Nigeria’s charge at the Meeting Arcobaleno AtleticaEuropa 2025 in Italy on Tuesday, as he targets a sprint double and crucial qualification standards for the upcoming World Championships in Tokyo.

The 23-year-old, who has had a strong season across the European athletics circuit, clocked a personal best of 20.23 seconds in the 200m last month in Málaga, Spain, and dipped under 10.20 in the 100m with a time of 10.17 seconds.

At the Arcobaleno meeting—part of the World Athletics Continental Tour Challenger series—Akintola aims to crack the 20.16 seconds standard set for the 200m event in Tokyo and break the 10.00 second barrier in the 100m to meet the Tokyo entry mark.

With consistent performances and growing international experience, Akintola is seen as one capable of punching his way to Tokyo.