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Nigerian sprint sensation Kayinsola Ajayi claimed a bronze medal in the men’s 100 metres at the 2026 Commonwealth Games on Tuesday, as Team Nigeria’s medal tally increased to 11 following another podium finish in Glasgow.
The 21-year-old sprinter crossed the finish line in 9.90 seconds, finishing behind Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme and Australia’s Lachlan Kennedy in a fiercely contested final held under challenging wet conditions at Scotstoun Stadium.
Eseme produced a remarkable late surge after a sluggish start to storm to victory in a Games record time of 9.83 seconds, while Kennedy delivered an impressive performance to secure silver in 9.85 seconds.
Ajayi entered the final as one of the leading contenders for gold following an outstanding season in which he recorded victories over reigning world champion Oblique Seville of Jamaica on two occasions. However, the torrential rain in Glasgow appeared to blunt the Nigerian’s finishing speed, denying him the opportunity to convert his pre-race favourite status into a Commonwealth title.
For much of the race, Ajayi remained locked in contention with Kennedy for the silver medal before Eseme accelerated powerfully over the closing metres to overhaul both athletes and clinch victory.
The Cameroonian’s triumph also extended Africa’s recent dominance in the event, becoming the third successive African athlete to win the Commonwealth Games men’s 100 metres title after South Africa’s Akani Simbine and Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala captured gold at the previous two editions.
Despite missing out on the top step of the podium, Ajayi etched his name into Nigeria’s athletics history by becoming only the fourth Nigerian to win a Commonwealth Games medal in the men’s 100 metres.
He joins an elite group of Nigerian sprint icons that includes Davidson Ezinwa, Uchenna Emedolu and Olusoji Fasuba, all of whom previously reached the podium in the blue-riband event.
Ajayi’s bronze medal further strengthened Nigeria’s performance at the Games, lifting the country’s overall medal tally to 11 as Team Nigeria continues its campaign across multiple sporting disciplines in Glasgow.
