Ajayi shines again with 15th sub-10 race in Switzerland

Nigerian sprint star, Kayinsola Ajayi, is having a fantastic season. He won the men’s 100m race at the Galà dei Castelli meeting in Bellinzona, Switzerland, on Sunday. He finished with a time of 9.91 seconds, making this his 15th race under 10 seconds, according to The PUNCH.

Ajayi ran 9.91 seconds with a legal tailwind of 0.2m/s. He beat American runner Ronnie Baker, who finished in 9.94 seconds. South Africa’s Akani Simbine came in third with a time of 9.95 seconds.

This win marks Ajayi’s 15th sub-10-second performance in his career. It is also his ninth legal sub-10-second race of the 2026 season.

Ajayi's first sub-10 time this season came during the Tom Jones Memorial in Gainesville, Florida, in April. He clocked 9.96 seconds with a wind speed of +1.9m/s, winning the 100m and kicking off his outdoor season on a high note.

The 21-year-old has had an amazing year. He set a new Nigerian record of 9.84 seconds at the 2026 NCAA Division I East First Round in the United States in May. This record broke Olusoji Fasuba’s 20-year-old mark of 9.85 seconds.

Ajayi also won the NCAA outdoor 100m title. He has matched his national record two times since then. Furthermore, he secured two wins on the Diamond League circuit this season.

His success continued at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where he earned a bronze medal in the men’s 100m race.

Recently, Ajayi signed with Adidas. He announced that he will give up his final year of college eligibility at Auburn University after three seasons.

His latest win in Bellinzona shows how quickly he is becoming one of Nigeria’s top sprint talents. The season will wrap up at the World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest in September.