Bori Akinola is now Ireland’s fastest man indoors, the UCD athlete running 6.54 seconds in Belgrade to smash the Irish indoor 60m record of 6.57 set by Israel Olatunde in 2023.
It marks another leap forward for Akinola, his 6.54 good enough to finish second at the World Indoor Tour Gold meeting in Serbia, the win going to Dominik Illovszky from Hungary in 6.52.
Akinola’s previous best was 6.59, run in Glasgow less than two weeks ago. Despite experiencing four false starts, Akinola remained unphased and made a lightning start to the race, just pipped by Illovszky as they dipped for the line.
The 24-year-old had already ticked off the qualifying standard for next month’s World Indoor Championships in Torun, Poland. Akinola won his first Irish 100m title last August, which Olatunde missed through injury, later running his 100m best of 10.20.
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He also beat Olatunde to win the national indoor 60m title this time last year, his first victory over his Irish rival in 21 races.
Meanwhile, Rhasidat Adeleke looks set to open her 2026 season on Saturday at the Don Kirby Elite meeting in Albuquerque, where she is among the entries for the 60m. The meeting is at altitude and where Adeleke set the Irish indoor 60m record of 7.15 in 2024.
