Kayinsola Ajayi could only manage a bronze medal in the men’s 100 meters race at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
The 21-year-old was beaten at the finish line by Cameroon’s
Emmanuel Eseme, who recovered from a slow start to set a new Games record of
9.83 seconds and clinch the gold medal. Lachlan Kennedy pulled together a
surprising race to claim the silver medal with a 9.85-second finish.
Ajayi clocked 9.90 seconds and settled for bronze despite
entering the competition as the overwhelming favourite.
Ajayi had twice defeated Jamaica’s Seville Oblique, the
reigning world champion, this year. But under the torrential downpour at the
Scotstoun Stadium on Tuesday, the Ikorodu-born sprinter struggled to find the
extra gear he needed to dash past his opponents.
For about the 80-meter mark, Ajayi was held stride for
stride by Kennedy and looked to be settling for a silver medal. Until Eseme
blitzed beyond them in the final 20 meters to become the third consecutive
African to win the title. South Africa’s Akani Simbine and Ferdinand Omanyala
won the event’s gold medal at the two previous CWGs.
Ajayi becomes the fourth Nigerian to win a medal in the
men’s 100m at CWG. He joins sprinting legends like Olusoji Fasuba, Uchenna
Emedolu and Davidson Ezinwa.
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