Untouchable: Ajayi Equals His Nigerian Record and Downs Oblique Seville Again in London

Kayinsola Ajayi just keeps making the case that he’s the real deal.

The 21-year-old Nigerian sprinter blazed to a 9.84-second victory (-0.7 wind) in the men’s 100m at the London Diamond League. He equalled his own Nigerian national record and beat world champion Oblique Seville of Jamaica for the second time this season. It’s the kind of performance that no longer feels like a surprise from Ajayi – it feels like confirmation.

A Season of Statements

This wasn’t the first time Ajayi has hit 9.84. In fact, it’s the third time this season he’s clocked that exact mark:

•  May 29 – Ajayi set the Nigerian record at 9.84 seconds at the NCAA East Regional in Lexington, Kentucky, breaking Olusoji Fasuba’s mark that had stood since 2006.

•  Early July – He equalled it at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, beating Seville and former world champion Christian Coleman in the process.

•  London – He’s now equalled it again, this time on European soil, once more with Seville trailing behind him.

Three 9.84s in a single season is a statement of consistency as much as speed. Records are supposed to be hard to touch even once. Ajayi has now hit his three times before the year is even half over.

Beating the World Champion – Again

Perhaps the most eye-catching detail from London wasn’t the time – it was who he beat. Oblique Seville, the reigning world champion, has now lost to Ajayi twice this season. First at Prefontaine, and now in London, with Ajayi reportedly staring him down across the finish line.

For a 21-year-old still fresh off his NCAA career at Auburn University, taking down a world champion once could be written off as an upset. Doing it twice in one season is a signal that the hierarchy of world sprinting may be shifting.

Back-to-Back Diamond League Wins

London also marked Ajayi’s second straight Diamond League victory, following his win at Prefontaine two weeks earlier. Back-to-back wins on the Diamond League circuit, against fields stacked with Olympic and World Championship medallists, is no small feat for an athlete still in his first full professional season.

What’s Next

Ajayi has been open about believing faster times are within reach. With the Commonwealth Games and the 2027 World Athletics Championships on the horizon, there’s little reason to doubt him. For now, though, London was just the latest chapter in a season that keeps writing itself in superlatives.

Nigeria has a new fastest man, and he shows no signs of slowing down.