Nigeria has a new national sprint king after Kanyinsola Ajayi delivered a sensational 9.84-second finish in the men’s 100m at the NCAA East Regionals on Friday, rewriting the country’s record books and setting a new global standard for the 2026 season.
The 21-year-old, who competes for Auburn University, produced a career-defining performance to win his heat and secure qualification for the NCAA Championships.
His run also ended a long-standing national record that had remained untouched for almost 20 years.
Ajayi’s wind-assisted time of 9.84 seconds (0.4 m/s) surpassed the previous Nigerian record of 9.85 seconds set in 2006 by Olusoji Fasuba, a mark widely regarded as one of the most enduring in Nigerian athletics history.
The explosive performance also propelled Ajayi to the top of the global 100m rankings for 2026 so far, making him the fastest man in the world this season. In addition, the run goes down as the second-fastest collegiate 100m time ever recorded, highlighting the magnitude of his achievement on the NCAA stage.
Ajayi, visibly emotional after the race, credited his preparation and faith for the breakthrough when speaking to Making of Champions. He said, “My coach told me what to do. I knew I was in good shape, so I just had to come here and execute,” he said.
He had already signaled strong form earlier in the competition after comfortably posting 9.90 seconds in the preliminary rounds, but even he appeared taken aback by the scale of his record-breaking performance.
Reflecting on surpassing Fasuba’s long-standing record, he added: “I’ve always been dreaming about it. God made it happen, so I’m very grateful to God.”
Despite the historic milestone, the Nigerian sprinter emphasized that his attention remains on personal progression rather than external competition as he prepares for the NCAA Championships.
“It is me versus myself. I’m not thinking about anybody else. I just have to focus and do what I have to do,” he said.
Looking ahead, Ajayi stated that his priority is to stay fit and maintain peak condition as he targets further success at the NCAA Championships, before shifting focus to the Commonwealth Games later in the year and the 2027 World Athletics Championships.
