Kanyinsola Ajayi
Nigerian sprinter (born 2004)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kanyinsola Ajayi (ⓘ; 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.
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| Nationality | Nigerian | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 14 September 2004 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Event | Sprint | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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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]
Personal life
He attends Auburn University in the United States.[34]