Nigeria's sprint star, Kayinsola Ajayi, made a big statement in international athletics with a fantastic win in the men’s 100 metres at the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League in Eugene, Oregon, on Saturday.
In his first Diamond League race, the 21-year-old sprinted to victory in a time of 9.84 seconds, matching Nigeria’s national record. He beat a tough field that included Jamaica's Oblique Seville and American sprint legend Christian Coleman.
Seville took second place with a time of 9.89 seconds, while Coleman finished third in 9.95 seconds. Ajayi’s amazing performance shows he is one of the fastest sprinters in the world this season and highlights Nigeria's growing strength in global sprinting.
Impressive debut
Ajayi came to Eugene after a standout NCAA season in the United States. Earlier in June, he became Nigeria’s fastest man ever by running a legal 9.84 seconds. This broke Olusoji Fasuba’s long-standing record of 9.85 seconds from 2006.
He also won the NCAA men’s 100m title in 9.72 seconds, although that run had an illegal tailwind. Facing a field full of Olympic and World Championship medalists, Ajayi showed no fear, delivering another great performance to equal his national record with legal wind conditions (+0.1m/s). This win positions him as a serious contender in the Diamond League as major championships approach later this year.
New star of Nigerian sprinting
For Nigeria, the focus was clearly on Ajayi. His win against some of the biggest names in sprinting confirmed his NCAA success and showed he could be a global medal contender. With the Commonwealth Games coming up, Ajayi has proven he is ready to aim for gold in Glasgow.
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