Ajayi and Nathaniel Return to Competition in Poland

Nigerian sprinters, Kanyinsola Ajayi and Ezekiel Nathaniel, are back in action. They will compete at the Silesia Diamond League meeting in Poland today, Sunday.

Ajayi will run in the 100m event. The preliminary round is set for 2:50pm and the final will take place at 4:11pm. Nathaniel will race in the 400m hurdles final at 3:04pm.

This event comes after a great showing at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Ajayi won a bronze medal in the men's 100m with a time of 9.90 seconds. He became Nigeria’s first men’s 100m medallist at the Games in 20 years. He finished behind Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme, who won gold with a Games record of 9.83 seconds, and Australia’s Lachlan Kennedy, who took silver in 9.85 seconds.

The 21-year-old Ajayi recently turned professional after signing a deal with Adidas. He has had a record-breaking season. He set a new Nigerian 100m record with a time of 9.84 seconds. He also clocked a wind-assisted 9.72 seconds, which is his fastest time this year. This season, he has won two Diamond League events and is currently ranked fifth in the world in the men’s 100m by World Athletics.

On the other hand, Nathaniel comes to Poland after winning gold in the 400m hurdles in Glasgow. He finished with a time of 48.47 seconds, beating England’s Jake Minshull, who won silver in 48.99 seconds, and Jamaica’s Assinie Wilson, who won bronze in 49.22 seconds.

The 23-year-old Nathaniel holds the Nigerian record for the 400m hurdles at 47.86 seconds. He is known for his consistency as a quarter-miler. He reached the semi-finals at the World Championships in both 2022 and 2023. He also qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics and won the 2025 NCAA Outdoor title while at Baylor University in the United States.