Glasgow 2026: Kanyinsola Ajayi Reaches Men’s 100m Final as Five Other Nigerian Sprinters Exit in Semifinals
Nigeria’s hopes of securing a medal in the men’s 100m at the 2026 Commonwealth Games now rest solely on Kanyinsola Ajayi after the in-form sprinter booked his place in the final, while five other Nigerian athletes bowed out at the semifinal stage.
Ajayi produced another impressive performance despite the drizzling conditions, powering to victory in his semifinal with a time of 9.93 seconds (+0.7).
He finished ahead of Wales’ Jeremiah Azu, who clocked 10.00s, and Ghana’s Abdul-Rasheed Saminu in 10.06s, to seal an automatic place in the final.
However, it was the end of the road for fellow Nigerians Favour Ashe and Nicholas Fakorede.
Ashe finished fifth in his semifinal after clocking 10.07s.
The race was won by Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme, who set a new national record of 9.90s, with Australia’s Lachlan Kennedy taking second in 9.94s.
Fakorede also missed out on qualification after placing fourth in his semifinal in 10.06s.
South Africa’s Gift Leotlela won the race in 10.02s, narrowly ahead of New Zealand’s Eddie Nketia, who recorded 10.03s.
The women’s 100m also ended in disappointment for Team Nigeria.
Rosemary Chukwuma suffered an unfortunate setback in her semifinal.
After making a strong start, she appeared to sustain an injury midway through the race, slowed down considerably, and eventually limped across the finish line in 11.82s, placing eighth.
Miracle Ezechukwu battled hard in the rain but narrowly missed qualification, finishing fourth in her semifinal with a time of 11.23s. England’s Amy Hunt won the race in 11.02s.
Nigeria’s woes were compounded by the withdrawal of Blessing Ogundiran, who was scheduled to compete in the second semifinal but did not start due to illness.
With Ajayi now the country’s lone representative in the blue-riband event, Nigerian fans will be hoping the NCAA champion can deliver a podium finish in the men’s 100m final.
