Ajayi targets $150k prize at World Athletics Championship

Nigeria's Kayinsola Ajayi is set to chase the biggest payday of his career at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest on Saturday. This is a big moment for him after a great season.

This championship has the largest prize money ever in athletics, with $10 million available for the athletes. The winner of each event will take home $150,000. The second place will get $75,000, and the third will earn $40,000. In the relay events, the winners will share an $80,000 prize.

Ajayi will compete in the second semi-final on Saturday. He will face tough opponents like Ackeem Blake, 2020 Olympic champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs, South Africa’s Akani Simbine, USA’s Kenneth Bednarek, African champion Emmanuel Eseme from Cameroon, Colombia’s Ronal Longa, and Ronnie Baker.

The top four athletes from each semi-final will qualify for the final, which will happen a bit over an hour later. With the season coming to an end, Ajayi is ready to give his best.

“Money on the line, last race of the season, you are going all out without leaving any gaps,” Ajayi told Making of Champions in Budapest on Friday.

At just 21 years old, Ajayi is currently the fourth-fastest in the men’s 100m this year. He trails behind Jamaica’s Oblique Seville, Noah Lyles, and Bednarek. Ajayi has also developed an exciting rivalry with Seville after beating him twice in the Diamond League this season.

However, Ajayi has also faced defeats against Seville, including in the Diamond League final in Brussels. He feels this rivalry has pushed him to evaluate his competitiveness against the best sprinters and grow as an athlete.

“I have been enjoying the rivalry so far. It has been teaching me a lot about how competitive I am and how I can compete with the fast guys,” he said.

Ajayi hopes to clock another sub-10-second time in Budapest. He has already done this 15 times in his young career.

This year has been incredible for Ajayi, starting with his 9.84-second national record in the men’s 100m at the 2026 NCAA Division I East First Round in the United States in May.

This performance broke Olusoji Fasuba’s 20-year-old Nigerian record of 9.85 seconds. Ajayi also won the NCAA outdoor 100m title and has equaled his national record twice. He also secured two Diamond League wins this season.

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