Bori Akinola heads to the World Indoor Championships in Toruń in excellent form after a breakthrough 12 months that has seen him emerge as one of Ireland’s leading sprinters.
Competing for UCD AC, Akinola has firmly established himself at the top of the domestic sprint scene, ending long standing winning streaks and stepping into a leading role in Irish sprinting.
His rise began at the 2025 Irish Indoor Championships, where he produced a standout performance to win the 60 metres title, ending Israel Olatunde’s dominant run in the event and claiming his first national indoor crown.
Bori also formed part of the Irish men’s 4×100m relay team that broke the national record with a time of 38.92 in June 2025.
He followed that up during the outdoor season by winning the Irish 100 metres title, his first, confirming his place at the top of the domestic rankings and continuing his progression as one of Ireland’s leading sprinters.
The 2026 indoor season has taken things another level. Akinola has been in outstanding form on the European circuit, producing a series of fast times and strong performances.
His breakthrough moment came in Glasgow on January 31st, where he clocked 6.59 seconds, hitting the automatic qualifying standard for the World Indoor Championships.
He backed that up just over a week later in Serbia, where he ran a superb 6.54 seconds, breaking the Irish 60 metres record previously held by Israel Olatunde.
