Paris 2024 Olympics: Ashe to battle Lyles, Seville, Hinchliffe for two 100m final tickets

Favour Ashe will need more than favour if he is desirous of running in his first global 100m final after managing to qualify for the semifinals as one of the three fastest losers in the opening round heats of the 100m event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The Nigerian, with a 9.94 personal season and lifetime best could only run 10.16 in his first ever race at the Olympics but will now have to run better than his lifetime best to get past the trio of reigning world champion, Noah Lyles of the USA, Jamaican star, Oblique Seville and rising star, Louie Hinchliffe who has done a 9.95 this season and is coached by former Olympic champion, Carl Lewis.

Ashe will also battle for the two automatic tickets on offer with three African brothers, Benjamin Azamati of Ghana, Emmanuel Eseme of Cameroon and South Africa’s Shaun Maswanganyi.

Kanyinsola Ajayi will also race against reigning Olympic champion, Marcel Lamont Jacobs for the second time in two days after defeating the Italian in the opening round heat on Saturday.

Ajayi will also battle two of Africa’s brightest hopes for a medal, Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo and South Africa’s Akani Simbine who have both broken 9.90 this year.

Also, in the second semifinal heat with the 19-year-old Nigerian is another African, Emmanuel Matadi while USA’s Kenneth Bednarek (9.87 this year) and Cuban, Reynaldo R. Espinosa (9.96 this year) complete a very tough semifinal heat for Ajayi.