World Athletics to remind Great Britain about slogan rules after Jeremiah Azu's headband

World Athletics said it will remind the British team of rules governing religious and political messages after Jeremiah Azu wore a headband reading "100% Jesus" during the World Championships in Tokyo.

Azu finished fourth in the men's 100 metres semi-finals and missed out on a place in the final. He may still compete for Great Britain in the 4x100m relay, which the team is due to begin on Saturday.

"We are aware of the headband, and as he may compete in the relay we will remind the team ahead of competition of our regulations and of consequences," World Athletics said in a brief statement. The governing body prohibits the marketing of religious and political slogans during competition under its regulations.

Azu, 24, won 60m gold at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing in March and was part of Great Britain's 4x100m bronze-medal relay team at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Last year he recorded 9.97 seconds over 100m in wind-legal conditions, the fastest ever by a Welshman.

Event organisers and international federations have rules intended to separate political or religious messaging from competitive competition, and World Athletics' intervention was described in its statement as a reminder to the team ahead of further events at the championships. Azu's semi-final place came behind the eventual winner of the final, Oblique Seville.

The British team selection for the relay and any team-level discussions about kit or headwear were not detailed in World Athletics' statement. No disciplinary action was announced at the time of the statement, and Azu remains eligible to be selected for relay duties while the championships continue.

The episode follows a year in which Azu has risen in profile through international medals and national records. With relay competition scheduled to start on Saturday, World Athletics said it would notify the team of its rules to ensure compliance for the forthcoming events.