Nigerian sprint star Kanyinsola Ajayi has rewritten the country’s athletics history after breaking the men’s 100m national record with a sensational 9.84 seconds performance at the 2026 NCAA Division I East First Round meet in the United States.
The 21-year-old Auburn University athlete produced the explosive run in one of the quarter-final heats, eclipsing the long-standing Nigerian record of 9.85 seconds set by Olusoji Fasuba in 2006, a mark that had stood for two decades.
Ajayi’s breakthrough confirms his rapid rise in global sprinting, building on his strong showing at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, where he became the first Nigerian in 18 years to reach the men’s 100m final and finished sixth overall.
With the new time, Ajayi currently stands among the fastest sprinters in the world in 2026 and moves within striking distance of the NCAA record of 9.82 seconds held by American sprint legend Christian Coleman.
The performance also places him as the second-fastest collegiate sprinter in United States history, further cementing his status as one of Nigeria’s brightest track prospects.
In a related highlight for Nigeria, Samuel Ogazi also impressed at the meet, setting a new national 400m record of 43.82 seconds, continuing his impressive season and strengthening Nigeria’s presence on the global athletics stage.
