Sixteen-year-old Nigerian-born athlete Jared Ejiasian delivered a historic performance over the weekend, breaking the U18 world record in the men’s 60 metres hurdles at the French U18 and U20 Indoor Championships in Val-de-Reuil.
Competing at the French U18 and U20 Indoor Championships inside the Stade Couvert Jesse Owens, Ejiasian stormed to victory in a blistering 7.43 seconds on Saturday. His time eclipsed the previous world record of 7.48 seconds — set in 2019 by France’s Sasha Zhoya — by five hundredths of a second.
Ejiasian seized control of the race after clearing the second hurdle, accelerating away from the rest of the field before powering through the finish line in record-breaking fashion. The feat marks his second major indoor triumph this season.
Earlier in January, the teenage hurdler had hinted at his rising dominance during the Tempo Run League indoor meet, where he won the same event in 7.57 seconds, establishing a new African U18 record.
Born in Nigeria, Ejiasian relocated to France at just three months old. Although he currently represents Nigeria in international competitions, reports indicate he has begun the naturalisation process to acquire French citizenship and could switch allegiance in the future.
His rapid ascent has been years in the making. In 2024, Ejiasian set four French school records in the U14 category — three in the 200 metres hurdles and one in the 4×60 metres mixed relay — further underlining his prodigious talent.
Now competing for AC Nord Val d’Oise at league events, Ejiasian is widely regarded as one of the most promising young athletes in global sprint hurdling, with his latest achievement cementing his status as a rising force in track and field.
