AUBURN, Ala. - Six current and former Auburn track and field student-athletes are set to compete at the 2025 Track and Field World Athletics Championships in Tokyo at Japan National Stadium. The Tigers will compete on the international stage spanning across nine days, September 13-21, representing three different countries.
Auburn will be represented by Kayinsola Ajayi (Nigeria), Sanaa Barns (USA), Makanakaishe Charamba (Zimbabwe), Vimbayi Maisvorewa (Zimbabwe), and Israel Okon (Nigeria), and Ja’Kobe Tharp (USA).
Ja’Kobe Tharp secured his spot at the World Athletics Championships after claiming gold in the 110m hurdles at the 2025 Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon. The reigning NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships, clocked a personal best time of 13.01, shaving .04 off his previous personal best that he ran two months prior at the NCAA Outdoor Championships to take gold.
Tharp’s time of 13.01 is currently the fifth fastest time in the world this year.
The Murfreesboro, Tennessee native delivered an impressive sophomore campaign, highlighted by an SEC Indoor title in the 60m hurdles, an NCAA Indoor 60m hurdles title, and the NCAA Outdoor Championship in June. He has also been selected as one of three finalists for The Bowerman.
The first round of the race will take place at 6:20 a.m. CT on Sept. 15th, and finals will be run on Sept. 16th at 8:20 a.m. CT.
Ajayi and Okon are both set to compete in the men’s 100m dash. The First Team All-Americans will compete on the first day of the meet, Friday, Sept. 12th at 9:23 p.m. CT in the preliminary rounds. Finals will take place on Sunday, Sept. 14th at 8:20 a.m. CT.
Ajayi competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he advanced to the semi-final round of the 100m dash. He holds school records in the 100m and 60m.
“My biggest focus is to go there, be myself, and do what I have to do,” Ajayi said. “I want to make myself proud.”
Ajayi raced in finals at the NCAA outdoors for the second consecutive year in the 100m and 4x100m relay. He helped the relay squad claim its second national title in a row.
“This is a big stop for my family and me,” Ajayi said. “I’ve been putting in a lot of work to compete for my country and to make Nigeria and Africa proud. This means a lot to me.”
At the NCAA Indoor Championships, Ajayi finished second overall in the 60m. Fellow Nigerian teammate, Okon, took bronze at the indoor championships in the event.
The duo delivered Auburn’s best 1-2 finish ever at NCAAs in the event. Okon became Auburn’s first freshman to run at the indoor championships since 2010.
Competing at the 2025 Nigerian Athletic Championships, Okon ran 10.04 to claim his first-ever national title. In the preliminary round of the race, he delivered a blistering time of 10.03, setting a personal best and the new Nigerian U20 record in the event.
“My time at Auburn has prepared me a lot,” Okon said. “I’m a little bit faster, and with my coach, everything is getting better. Going to the world championships at a very young age, I’m happy about it. It means a lot to me.”
No stranger to international competition, Charamba also competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Racing for his native country, Zimbabwe, Charamba advanced all the way to the men’s 200m finals, claiming eighth in the world.
“It means a lot to represent my country,” Charamba said. “It gives me the opportunity to show the whole world what I can do ... My biggest focus is to execute the best race that I can so that I can put myself in the best position going into the finals because anything can happen in the finals.”
During his time at Auburn, he claimed two gold (4x100m relay) and two silver (200m) medals at the NCAA Championships. He holds the program record in the indoor and outdoor 200m. Charamba ran the anchor leg of the back-to-back national championships in the 4x100m relay at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
“When I get into the competition, I get into my lane, and I focus on what I can do. I can’t worry about anything outside of my control,” Charamba said.
The first round of the men’s 200m will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 17th, at 6:15 a.m. CT, and finals will be held on Friday, Sept. 19, at 8:06 a.m. CT.
Barnes will begin her world championships with the women’s high jump qualifications on Thursday, Sept. 18th at 5:15 a.m. CT. Finals will take place on Sunday, Sept. 21st at 5:30 a.m. CT.
Barnes ranks seventh all-time in Auburn history in the high jump and has earned six career All-America honors. Competing at the 2025 Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon, Barnes delivered a personal best, clearing 1.94m to take silver and secure a spot in Tokyo.
Five-time All-American Vimbayi Maisvorewa will compete in the women’s 400m, starting Sunday, Sept. 14th, with the first round. Finals will be held on Thursday, Sept. 18th. Maisvorewa holds the program record in the indoor 400m and has the second-fastest time in the outdoor 400m.
At her last outing for the Tigers, Maisvorewa finished ninth in the 400m and 11th overall in the 4x400m relay at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Coverage of the World Championships will be on Peacock and NBC, and the World Athletics Championships central can be found here.