Nigerian sprinter Ajayi closes breakthrough 2026 season with World Championship 4th place after record-setting year
Nigerian sprinter Kanyinsola Ajayi finished fourth in the men's 100m final at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest with a time of 9.93 seconds, just 0.004 seconds behind bronze medalist Ronnie Baker. This capped a breakthrough 2026 season where Ajayi won NCAA indoor 60m and outdoor 100m titles, broke Olusoji Fasuba's Nigerian 100m record with a 9.84-second run, defeated reigning world champion Oblique Seville twice (at Prefontaine Classic and London Diamond League), and claimed Commonwealth Games bronze in Glasgow with a 9.90-second run.
The Adidas-signed professional also earned $25,000 for his Budapest finish and revealed he's considering a stronger focus on the 200m event, building on his existing 20.93-second personal best. Ajayi described the season as one of growth and valuable lessons, emphasizing that sticking to his training plan was key to handling the demanding global circuit that included Diamond League stops and major championships.
With Ajayi now consistently running sub-10 seconds and establishing himself as Nigeria's fastest sprinter since Fasuba's African record era, does his emergence signal a new era for Nigerian sprinting on the world stage, particularly if he successfully adds the 200m to his arsenal for the next Olympic cycle?