Kanyinsola Ajayi

Kanyinsola Ajayi
Personal information
NationalityNigerian
Born (2004-09-14) 14 September 2004
Ikorodu, Nigeria
Sport
SportAthletics
Event
Sprint
Achievements and titles
Personal bests
Medal record
Representing  Nigeria
Men's athletics
African Championships
Silver medal – second place2024 Douala4×100 m relay
Commonwealth Games
Bronze medal – third place2026 Glasgow100 m
Bronze medal – third place2026 Glasgow4×100m relay
African U20 Championships
Gold medal – first place2023 Ndola100m
Gold medal – first place2023 Ndola4x100 m relay

Kanyinsola Ajayi (pronunciationⓘ; born 14 September 2004) is a Nigerian sprinter. He is the African record holder over 60 metres and became Nigerian national champion in the 100 metres in 2024, and the national record holder over 100 metres in 2026. He was the bronze medalist at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Competing in the United States he won the 2026 NCAA Indoor Championships over 60 metres and the 100 metres at the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Championships.[1]

Biography

Early career: African U20 champion

From Ikorodu, Ajayi won both sprints at the 2021 Maltina School Games and set a personal best of 10.26 seconds for the 100 metres at the second AFN All-Comers meet at Yabatech Sports Centre in 2022.[2] He competed at the 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships in Cali, Colombia.[3]

Ajayi won a gold medal in the 100 metres at the 2023 African Athletics U20 Championships in Ndola, Zambia.[4] At that championships he also won a gold medal in the 4 × 100 m relay.[5][6]

2024: Nigerian champion, Olympic debut

Ajayi became Nigerian national champion in the 100 metres in June 2024.[7] He finished fourth in the 100 metres at the African Championships in Douala, Cameroon that month.[8] At that championships, he won a silver medal in the 4 × 100 m relay.[9]

He competed in the 100 metres at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he reached the semi-finals.[10][11] He also competed in the men's 4 × 100 m relay at the Games.[12]

2025: World Championships 100 m finalist

Ajayi lowered his 60 metres personal best to 6.48 seconds at the 2025 NCAA Indoor Championships.[13] He ran 6.52 seconds to finish second in the men’s 60m final on 15 March 2025, in Virginia Beach.[14]

In September 2025, Ajayi was a finalist in the 100 metres at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, lowering his personal best to 9.88 seconds and placing sixth in the final in 10.00 seconds.[15][16] It would be the first time Nigeria appears in a World Championship final since Olusoji Fasuba in 2007, where he finished fourth.[17][18]

2026: Double NCAA champion, Commonwealth Games medalist

In February 2026, Ajayi tied Christian Coleman's collegiate record for the 60 metres, running 6.45 seconds to win the SEC Indoor Championships ahead of Jelani Watkins.[19] On 14 March, he ran 6.45 seconds again to equal the African record and win the 2026 NCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville ahead of Watkins.[20][21]

Competing outdoors at the NCAA East Regional in Lexington, Kentucky, on 29 May, Ajayi set a new Nigerian national record of 9.84 seconds for the 100 metres.[22] On 12 June, Ajayi ran a wind-assisted 9.72 seconds (+2.2 m/s) to win the 100 metres title at the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Championships. He became the second Nigerian to win the event after Divine Oduduru in 2018.[23][24][25] At the championships, he was also part of the Auburn 4 x 100 metres team which set a new NCAA record of 37.75 in the preliminary round.[26] On 4 July, Ajayi equalled his personal best to win in 9.84 seconds (+0.1) at the 2026 Prefontaine Classic, winning ahead of world champion Oblique Seville.[27] On 18 July, Ajayi equalled his personal best again (-0.7) to win at the 2026 London Diamond League, ahead of Seville.[28][29] On 28 July, Ajayi ran 9.90 seconds in the 100 metres final in wet conditions to win the bronze medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. In doing so, he became the first Nigerian male sprinter in 20 years to win a Commonwealth Games 100m medal, after Olusoji Fasuba in 2006.[30][31] Later at the Games, he won the bronze medal in the men's 4 × 100 m relay.[32][33] On 23 August, he placed fourth in 9.94 seconds for the 100 m in the Diamond League at the 2026 Kamila Skolimowska Memorial in Silesia, Poland.[34]

Personal life

He attends Auburn University in the United States.[35]

References

  1. ↑ "Kayinsola Ajayi". World Athletics. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  2. ↑ "Meet Kanyinsola Ajayi, the new speedster gunning to break into the 'Big 5' of Nigeria's top sprinters". Pulsesports.ng. 23 February 2023. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  3. ↑ "World Athletics U20 Championships". World Athletics. 1 August 2022. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  4. ↑ "African U18 and U20 Championships: Godbless and Ajayi sprint to 100m titles on Day 2". Pulsesports.ng. 1 May 2023. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  5. ↑ "Eyes on Ogazi, Okwose as AFN Golden League berths In Uyo". Newsexpressngr.com. 24 June 2023. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  6. ↑ "African Athletics U20 Championships". World Athletics. 29 April 2023. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  7. ↑ "Kanyinsola Ajayi Claims National 100m Title at 2024 Nigeria Olympic Trials, Crowned New Speed Champion". NewsDigest. 18 June 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  8. ↑ "Ajayi and Olajide fall short in the 100m men's and women's finals". Brilla.net. 23 June 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  9. ↑ "Nigeria's men's 4x100m team bag Silver at 2024 African Championships!". Makimg of Champions. 24 June 2024. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
  10. ↑ "Men's 100 Metres - Paris Olympic Games 2024 Athletics". Watch Athletics. 4 August 2024. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
  11. ↑ "AFN lists 35 track-and-field athletes for Olympics". The Punch. 7 July 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  12. ↑ "Men's 4 x 100 Metres Relay - Paris Olympic Games 2024 Athletics". Watch Athletics. 9 August 2024. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
  13. ↑ "Five Tigers advance to finals of NCAA Championships". BVM Sports. 14 March 2025. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
  14. ↑ Jacks, Bradley (15 March 2025). "Northern Colorado's Jerome Campbell produces personal best 7.49 for silver in men's 60m hurdles at NCAA Indoor Championships". SportsMax. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
  15. ↑ "World Athletics Championships, Tokyo 2025". World Athletics. 18 September 2025. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
  16. ↑ Adebayo, Olusola (31 August 2025). "Amusan, Brumen, In as AFN Unveils 15-Man Squad for World Athletics Championships, Ofili Missing". Bluewin.ch. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
  17. ↑ Ikeji, Linda (14 September 2025). "Nigeria?s Kanyinsola Ajayi qualifies for 100m final of World Championships". Linda Ikeji's Blog. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  18. ↑ Ikhazuagbe, Duro (15 September 2025). "Nigeria: Kanyisola Ajayi Ends Nigeria's 18-Year Absence in 100m Final, Places Sixth". This Day. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  19. ↑ "ARKANSAS MEN, FLORIDA WOMEN HOIST TROPHIES AT SEC INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS". Runnerspace. 1 March 2026. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
  20. ↑ Gault, Jonathan (15 March 2026). "NCAA Indoor men: Colin Sahlman wins controversial 3000 via DQ, as sprint records fall". Lets Run. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
  21. ↑ "Kaalund and Tharp threaten world records at NCAA Indoor Championships". World Athletics. 14 March 2026. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
  22. ↑ "NCAA EAST: KANYINSOLA AJAYI (100) AND SAMUEL OGAZI (400) RUN WORLD-LEADING TMES". Dye Stat. 30 May 2026. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  23. ↑ Shehu, Idris (13 June 2026). "Ajayi, Ogazi win men's titles at national collegiate championship in US". TheCable. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
  24. ↑ "NCAA SPRINT FINALS PRODUCE FASTEST TIMES IN THE WORLD IN THE 100, 200 AND 400 METERS". Dyestat. 12 June 2026. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
  25. ↑ "Ogazi, Reid and Tharp storm to NCAA titles as more records fall in Eugene". World Athletics. 13 June 2026. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
  26. ↑ Fowler, Logan (11 June 2026). "Historic day for Auburn track and field as Ja'Kobe Tharp breaks hurdles world record". 1819news. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
  27. ↑ "LILIAN ODIRA BEATS KEELY HODGKINSON OVER 800M AGAIN". Athletics Weekly. 4 July 2026. Retrieved 5 July 2026.
  28. ↑ McCarvel, Nick (18 July 2026). "NCAA champion Kayinsola Ajayi scores statement win at London Diamond League 2026, beating Oblique Seville in men's 100m". Olympics. Archived from the original on 19 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  29. ↑ Eludini, Tunde (18 July 2026). "Diamond League: Kayinsola Ajayi equals national record again in London". Premium Times. ISSN 2360-7688. Archived from the original on 19 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  30. ↑ "Glasgow 2026: Ajayi, Adeshina deliver athletics bronze medals for Nigeria". Premium Times. 28 July 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  31. ↑ "Commonwealth Games 2026: Cameroon's Emmanuel Eseme storms to 100m men's gold in Games Record time". 28 July 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  32. ↑ "XXIII Commonwealth Games". World Athletics. 1 August 2026. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
  33. ↑ Eludini, Tunde (3 August 2026). "Nigeria: Updated - Glasgow 2026: Usoro Wins Silver As Relay Quartet Settles for Bronze After Appeal Drama". Premium Times. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
  34. ↑ "Results - Silesia Diamond League 2026". Watch Athletics. 23 August 2026. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
  35. ↑ "2024 Nigeria Olympic Trials: Kanyinsola Ajayi wins National 100m title in Benin, emerging as the new speed champion". Pulsesports. 17 June 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
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