Ajayi shines as fastest African in 100m at World Athletics Championships

Nigeria’s Kayinsola Ajayi narrowly missed the podium in the men’s 100m at the first World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest on Saturday. Still, he stood out as the fastest African in a competitive final.

Ajayi finished the race in 9.93 seconds, tying with American Ronnie Baker, who took home the bronze medal after a photo finish.

Ajayi will receive $25,000 for his impressive performance, according to the prize money breakdown.

American Kenny Bednarek won the race in 9.85 seconds. Jamaica’s Oblique Seville came in second with a time of 9.90 seconds.

Christian Coleman from the United States finished fifth at 9.94 seconds, while South Africa’s Gift Leotlela came sixth in 9.98 seconds. Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo from Botswana was seventh in 10.07 seconds, and Akani Simbine finished eighth in 10.09 seconds.

This result highlights Ajayi’s rapid rise among the top sprinters globally and secures Nigeria a spot in this prestigious championship final.

Ajayi qualified for the final by performing well in the semi-finals. His presence in the final adds another exciting chapter to his breakthrough 2026 season, where he has emerged as one of the leading sprinters worldwide.

At just 21 years old, he holds the Nigerian 100m record of 9.84 seconds and is ranked fourth in the world for the event, based on World Athletics data.

Ajayi also claimed bronze in the 100m at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, finishing with a time of 9.90 seconds. He was behind Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme and Australia’s Lachlan Kennedy.

His international success continued at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in 2025. There, he reached the 100m final and finished sixth with a time of 10.00 seconds after running 9.93 seconds in his semi-final.

For Ajayi, the fourth-place finish might not have earned him a medal, but it shows how much progress he has made this season. He has set records, won major titles, and positioned himself among the fastest sprinters in the world.