My Dreams Come True, Says Kanyinsola Ajayi On Smashing 20-Year Nigerian Record
History has been made in the men’s 100m at the NCAA East Regionals as Kanyinsola Ajayi powered to a new Personal Best (PB) of 9.84s (0.4) to win his race and qualify for the NCAA Championships!
According to a terse statement on the website of the NCAA, the 21-year-old Auburn University athlete produced the blistering performance in the quarter-final heats in the early hours of Saturday, setting a new Nigerian national record and becoming the fastest Nigerian ever over the distance.
He broke the Nigerian National Record of 9.85s set by Olusoji Fasuba set in 2006.
Ajayi is also now the fastest man in the world so far in 2026, taking over the World Lead.
The Nigerian sprint sensation Kanyinsola Ajayi described his record-breaking performance at the NCAA East Regionals as a dream come true after becoming the fastest Nigerian man in history.
The Auburn University star produced a breathtaking display in Lexington, Kentucky, clocking an astonishing 9.84 seconds in the men’s 100 metres to break the long-standing Nigerian national record and announce himself as one of the world’s leading sprinters.
Ajayi’s historic run eclipsed the previous national record of 9.85 seconds set by Nigerian sprint legend Olusoji Fasuba in 2006, ending a 20-year wait for a new men’s 100m record holder.
The remarkable performance also elevated the Nigerian to the top of the world rankings for the season.
Speaking after the race, an excited Ajayi admitted the achievement was the realization of a long-held ambition.
“I feel good smashing the record and running a world lead. It’s a dream come true. I’ve been dreaming about this day, to become Nigeria’s fastest man,” Ajayi said.
The young sprinter revealed that there was no special formula behind the stunning performance, attributing his success to consistent hard work, trust in his training programme and strict adherence to his coach’s instructions.
“There is no secret. I know I am in good shape. I listen to my coach’s instructions and I just execute them,” he explained.
Ajayi’s confidence heading into the race was built on a series of impressive performances throughout the season.
Earlier in the year, he had already announced himself among the world’s fastest athletes by running 9.90 seconds, a personal best at the time.
According to the Nigerian speedster, that breakthrough performance convinced him that an even faster time was within reach.
“After running 9.90 seconds, I knew I could still lower it, and I trusted the process,” he added.
His 9.84-second effort not only secured victory in his race but also further strengthened his growing reputation as one of the most exciting sprint talents in global athletics.
The performance is among the fastest ever recorded by an African athlete and ranks as the second-fastest time in NCAA history, highlighting the magnitude of Ajayi’s achievement on one of collegiate athletics’ biggest stages.
