Ajayi likens Prefontaine Classic win to NCAA

Nigerian record holder in the men’s 100m, Kayinsola Ajayi, says his breakthrough victory at the 2026 Prefontaine Classic felt no different from competing at the NCAA Championships, insisting the pressure he faced in the collegiate ranks prepared him for the professional stage, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Fresh from winning his first NCAA Outdoor title, Ajayi produced fireworks in the men’s 100m at the 2026 Prefontaine Classic on Saturday, powering to victory in 9.84s ahead of reigning world champion Oblique Seville (9.89s) in a wind reading of +0.1m/s at Hayward Field, Eugene, Oregon.

U.S. Olympian Christian Coleman finished third in 9.95s, edging compatriot Kenneth Bednarek, who clocked 9.96s.

It was another statement performance from the Nigerian sprint sensation, who followed up his recent men’s 100m title at the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships by defeating one of the strongest fields assembled this season.

Despite Seville’s quick start, Ajayi surged past the Jamaican during the acceleration phase, taking control of the race around the 30m mark before pulling away to victory. His winning time of 9.84s is second only to Seville’s season-best 9.82s among the pair this year.

“It feels like the same thing to me. Like competing in the NCAA and the pressure in the NCAA. If I could overcome the pressure in the NCAA that means I can overcome any pressure at pro level, so it’s still the same thing to me, nothing different,” Ajayi told Diamond League after the race.

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Asked what would keep him performing at the highest level, the 20-year-old stressed the importance of maintaining his work ethic.

“Consistency, practice and just stay healthy and just trust myself and trust my coach,” he said.

The performance also saw Ajayi equal the Nigerian record of 9.84s that he set in May when he broke Olusoji Fasuba’s 20-year national mark at the NCAA East Regional Championships to qualify for the NCAA Championships.

He went on to win the NCAA title in June with a wind-assisted 9.72s, underlining his emergence as one of the world’s fastest men.

Fasuba’s previous national record of 9.85s was set at the Doha Grand Prix in May 2006 and also stood as the African record at the time. The continental record is now held by Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala, who ran 9.77s in Nairobi in September 2021.