Ahead of Monday’s start of athletics events at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, a lot of attention is already on Nigeria’s atrack and field contingent, especially in the men’s 100m, where Kanyinsola Ajayi is the main man to talk about, Sports247 reports.
While a lot of hype is also heralding the advent of Favour Ashe, Udodi Onwuzurike, Alaba Akintola, Israel Okon, Fakorede Adekalu and others in Nigeria’s current class of elite sprinters, the macquee man has to be Ajayi, Nigeria’s men’s 100m record holder.
With a time of 9.83 seconds, which the rave of the moment equalled this past weekend, thereby confirming his quality heading into Glasgow 2026, expectations are at a high point that he could jolly wll turn out to be the first Nigerian to clinch the Commonwealth Games’ men’s 100m gold medal.
Nigeria has never won gold in the men’s 100m of the Commonwealth Games, with the country’s best still being three silver medalists – Davidson Ezinwa (10.05 seconds at Auckland 1990); Uchenna Emedolu (Manchester 2002; 10.11secs) and Olusoji Adetokunbo Fasuba (Melbourne 2006; 10.11s).
Incidentally, Ajayi’s current personal best would have earned him the men’s 100m gold medal in all the last six editions, as seen in the roll out since 2002 in Manchester, where Kim Collins of Saint Kitts & Nevis won it with 9.98 seconds, while 2006 in Melbourne, Australia it was Asafa Powell of Jamaica in 10.03.
At Delhi 2010, it was Lerone Clarke of Jamaica with 10.12, followed by Glasgow 2014 with Kemar Bailey-Cole of Jamaica (10.00), Gold Coast 2018, Akani Simbine of South Africa (10.03) and Birmingham 2022, Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya (10.02).
The stage is now set for ‘the mother of all races’ at Glasgow 2026, as Ajayi will be up against formidable opposition from four of his compatriots, who also enter the Games with huge marks so far this year, thereby setting up a titanic run that could end in a landmark clean sweep for Team Nigeria, should everything go according to current form.
Born September 14th, 2004, Ajayi is currently the African record holder over 60 metres and became Nigerian national champion in the 100 metres in 2024, following which he began making top marks in the United States, where he won the 2026 NCAA Indoor Championship’s 60m and 100m at the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
However, Ajayi’s Nigerian 100m record 9.84 is second on the Commonwealth log, followed by South Africa’s Bayanda Walaza, who is ranked third overall heading into the Games with 9.89, which he set in Banská Bystrica earlier this month, after which comes Favour Ashe (9.93) in fourth, while Nicholas Adekalu Fakorede (9.98), Chidera Ezeakor (10.03) and Enoch Adegoke (10.27) are all out of the top-6.
Two South Afircans are ranked fifth and sixth behind Ashe, with current statistics also high for Bradley Nkoana’s 9.95 (set last month in Nivelles), where he got a personal best and Tlotliso Gift Leotlela with 9.97s in Shanghai, China at the May 2026 Diamond League meeting, but top of the pack still remains Jamaica’s Oblique Seville’s 9.82 set in Kingston, Jamaica on June 19, 2026.
More statistics gathered by Sports247 revealed about Nigeria’s top-5 sprinters: “Ajayi – 9.84 seconds; +0.4 m/s on May 30 at the NCAA East Regionals / equaled on July 4 and July 18 at the Prefontaine Classic and London Diamond League. He broke the 20-year national record previously held by Olusoji Fasuba.
“Favour Ashe – 9.93 seconds (+0.5 m/s on June 23 at the AFN Commonwealth Games Trials in Lagos). This run crowned him the national champion at YabaTech. Nicholas Adekalu Fakorede – 9.98 seconds, +0.5 m/s on June 23 at the AFN Commonwealth Games Trials in Lagos. He secured silver in a historic race alongside Ashe.
“Chidera Ezeakor – 10.03 seconds (+0.5 m/s on June 23 at the AFN Commonwealth Games Trials in Lagos). He also earned a bronze medal earlier in the year at the African Championships in Accra. Enoch Adegoke – 10.27 seconds on June 23 at AFN Commonwealth Games Trials in Lagos.
The Tokyo Olympic finalist made the top five national final times.”
It’s now left to be seen if Nigeria will get a clean sweep with Ajayi, Ashe and Adegoke (in that order), or Seville could spoil the narrative by clinching top spot; while someone might pop out of the blue to win it – like Kenya’s Omanyala did at Birmingham 2022.
