Ajayi Caps Breakthrough Season with Diamond League Final Bronze in Brussels

Nigerian sprinter Kayinsola Ajayi closed his 2026 Wanda Diamond League campaign with a bronze medal after running 9.97 seconds in the men’s 100 metres final in Brussels, Belgium.

Ajayi finished third behind Jamaica’s reigning world champion Oblique Seville, who won the Diamond League Final in 9.90 seconds, while Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme took second in 9.93 seconds.

The result gives Ajayi another podium finish in a season in which he has established himself among the world’s leading 100m sprinters.

Men’s 100m Final

🇯🇲 Oblique Seville — 9.90s
🇨🇲 Emmanuel Eseme — 9.93s
🇳🇬 Kayinsola Ajayi — 9.97s

Ajayi's 9.97 was 0.07 seconds slower than Seville and 0.04 seconds behind Eseme, but it still represented his fifth sub-10-second performance of the 2026 season.

The result also saw Ajayi make Nigerian athletics history as the first Nigerian to compete in the Diamond League Final, adding another milestone to a remarkable season for the 21-year-old sprinter.

The Nigerian entered the Diamond League Final with a season and personal best of 9.84 seconds, a mark he had recorded three times during the year. The Diamond League lists his 9.84 performances at Lexington on May 29, Eugene on July 4, and London on July 18.

Ajayi's Breakthrough Diamond League Season

The Brussels podium capped a remarkable Diamond League season for the 21-year-old.

Ajayi opened his major Diamond League campaign with victory in Eugene, where he ran 9.84 seconds (+0.1m/s) to defeat Oblique Seville and win the men's 100m.

He followed that with another victory in London on July 18, again running 9.84 seconds, this time with a -0.7m/s headwind. Seville finished second in 9.87 seconds.

Ajayi then finished fourth in the Silesia Diamond League final in Poland, clocking 9.94 seconds (+1.4m/s) in one of the fastest 100m races ever recorded.

That race was historic because all nine finalists broke 10 seconds. Ajayi finished behind Seville (9.83), Kenneth Bednarek (9.87) and Christian Coleman (9.93).

Three 9.84s Performances

Ajayi's consistency at the top level has been one of the defining features of his season.

His 9.84-second personal best was first recorded in Lexington on May 29. He then matched the mark in Eugene and London, giving him three 9.84 performances in 2026.

The Diamond League identifies Ajayi as a two-time Diamond League meeting winner, with victories in Eugene and London.

His Eugene performance was particularly significant as it established a new Nigerian national record and placed him among the leading sprinters in the world.

From World Championship Finalist to Diamond League Medallist

Ajayi's progress has been rapid.

At the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, he reached the men's 100m final and finished sixth in 10.00 seconds. World champion Seville won that race in 9.77 seconds.

One year later, Ajayi has transformed from a championship finalist into a consistent sub-10-second sprinter and a two-time Diamond League winner.

His Brussels bronze also means that he has finished on the podium in the Diamond League Final after competing against some of the world's strongest sprinters, including Seville, Eseme and the American contingent.

What the Numbers Say

Ajayi's 2026 Diamond League record shows a clear progression:

🇺🇸 Eugene — 1st, 9.84s
🇬🇧 London — 1st, 9.84s
🇵🇱 Silesia — 4th, 9.94s
🇧🇪 Brussels Final — 3rd, 9.97s

Across those four Diamond League 100m appearances, Ajayi recorded two victories and one third-place finish, with every final producing a sub-10-second performance.

His 9.84s season best remains the fastest time of his career, while his 9.95 seconds in Brussels ensured that he ended the Diamond League season on the podium.

At just 21 years old, the Nigerian sprinter Kayinsola Ajayi has already established himself as one of Nigeria's leading men's sprinters and has now added a Diamond League Final medal to his growing list of achievements.