Nigeria’s sprint star Kayinsola Ajayi delivered the biggest win of his career on Saturday, stunning reigning world champion Oblique Seville to claim victory in the men’s 100m at the 2026 Prefontaine Classic.
Competing in his first ever Diamond League race at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, the 20 year old exploded to a winning time of 9.84 seconds, matching the Nigerian national record he already holds.
Seville of Jamaica made a quick start and looked in control in the early stages of the race, but Ajayi finished strongly to take the win. The Jamaican settled for second in 9.89 seconds, while American sprinter Kenneth Bednarek placed third in 9.95 seconds.
The performance further underlines Ajayi’s growing reputation as one of the fastest men in the world this season and marks another major step in his rapid rise on the global sprint scene.
Nigeria also had more reasons to celebrate as Tobi Amusan produced another strong showing in the women’s 100m hurdles. The world record holder finished second in 12.34 seconds behind American Masai Russell, who won the race in a world leading time of 12.24 seconds. Bahamian athlete Devynne Charlton came third in 12.41 seconds.
In the women’s 100m final, Favour Ofili placed eighth in a highly competitive field after crossing the line in 11.07 seconds. American star Melissa Jefferson Wooden took first place in 10.78 seconds, narrowly ahead of Sha’Carri Richardson, who came second in 10.79 seconds.
There was also Nigerian interest in the men’s 400m, where Ezekiel Nathaniel finished eighth with a time of 45.32 seconds in a strong lineup. Botswana’s Busang Collen Kebinatshipi won the race in a personal best of 44.00 seconds, finishing ahead of American Olympic champion Rai Benjamin, who posted 44.11 seconds.
