Nigerian sprinter Kanyinsola Ajayi announced his arrival on the global sprinting scene in spectacular fashion on Saturday, clocking a blistering Personal Best (PB) of 9.96 seconds to win the men’s 100m at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational in Florida.
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Running with a legal wind reading of +1.9 m/s, Ajayi stormed out of the blocks and held his form down the stretch to finish ahead of a quality field, marking his first ever sub-10 second performance. His time not only earned him the gold but also elevated him into the record books as the 10th fastest Nigerian in history over the distance.
He held off strong competition from American collegiate sprint stars, with LSU’s Jelani Watkins finishing second in 10.03s and T’Mars McCallum taking third in 10.04s.
Ajayi’s performance is a statement of intent in what promises to be an exciting season for the rising star, especially with the World Championships and Olympic Games looming on the horizon. His sub-10 mark places him in elite company, joining a distinguished list of Nigerian sprint greats like Olusoji Fasuba, Divine Oduduru, and Enoch Adegoke.
The Tom Jones Memorial is known for fast times and high-quality matchups, and Ajayi’s breakthrough only adds to the legacy of the prestigious meet. Nigerian athletics fans will now be watching closely as he builds on this explosive start to the season.
