Nigeria’s Kanyinsola Ajayi has secured a historic podium finish in the men’s 100 metres at the 2026 Diamond League final in Brussels, Belgium.
The 21-year-old sprinter clocked 9.97 seconds to finish third in the race held on Friday, September 4, behind Jamaica’s Oblique Seville, who won in 9.90 seconds, and Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme, who placed second in 9.93 seconds.
Ajayi’s bronze medal marks the first time a Nigerian athlete has finished on the podium in the men’s 100m at a Diamond League final.
The performance caps an impressive season for the Nigerian record holder, who established a new national record of 9.84 seconds earlier in the year. He matched that mark on multiple occasions, including victories in Eugene and London.
Ajayi also produced a strong performance at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, where he won bronze in the 100m for Nigeria.
Earlier in the season, the sprinter won the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) titles in the men’s 60m indoor and 100m outdoor events.
He claimed the NCAA outdoor 100m crown in a wind-assisted 9.72 seconds, a performance that placed him among the fastest sprinters in history when marks run under all wind conditions are considered.
Ajayi’s breakthrough year has now added a Diamond League final medal to his growing list of achievements, further establishing him as one of Nigeria’s leading sprint prospects.
