Olusoji Fasuba, Nigeria’s former sprint king, has expressed admiration for young sprinter Kayinsola Ajayi after the 21-year-old delivered a historic performance in the men’s 100m, breaking a long-standing national record.
Ajayi ran a remarkable 9.84 seconds at the NCAA East Regional Championships last Friday, surpassing Fasuba’s Nigerian record of 9.85 seconds that had stood for two decades. The run also confirmed his place at the upcoming NCAA Championships.
Fasuba originally set his mark back in 2006 at the Doha Grand Prix, a performance that once held continental importance until Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala lowered the African record with a 9.77-second sprint in 2021.
Speaking on the achievement, Fasuba described Ajayi’s journey as one built on steady progress rather than sudden fame, saying the youngster developed away from the spotlight.
He noted that many promising athletes fade after early attention, but Ajayi has continued to improve step by step without distraction.
Fasuba added that the new record holder’s consistency, discipline, and focus have now brought him a well-deserved breakthrough on the big stage.
Ajayi’s time now places him as the second-fastest collegiate 100m runner ever, trailing only American sprinter Christian Coleman, who recorded 9.82 seconds in 2017.
The Auburn-based athlete has also shown rare consistency in breaking the 10-second barrier, achieving it eight times within the space of a year between 2025 and 2026.
He will now compete at the NCAA Championships in Oregon starting June 10, where he will aim to claim his first major collegiate title.
