Nigerian Athletes Shine with Records, Personal Bests

Nigerian track and field athletes have begun the outdoor season in strong fashion, securing victories, personal best performances, and even a new national record across sprints, jumps, and throws.

At the Tom Jones Memorial in Florida on Friday, javelin thrower Chinecherem Nnamdi delivered a standout performance, winning the men’s event with a huge personal best of 84.68m. The throw not only earned him victory but also broke his previous national record by almost two metres, despite a relatively limited 2025 season. The result also lifts him to seventh on Africa’s all-time list.

Sprinter Kanyinsola Ajayi, who was NCAA indoor champion, carried his indoor form into the outdoor circuit. He clocked a wind-assisted 9.90s (2.9 m/s) to win the men’s 100m invitational race at the same meet on Saturday. The Auburn athlete led a Nigerian one-two finish as Israel Okon came second in 9.95s, while Jaiden Reid placed third in 10.01s.

In the field events, Temitope Adeshina continued her excellent run in the women’s high jump, clearing 1.95m at the Mt. SAC Relays in California to take first place. Her jump is the third-best in Texas Tech history and currently tops the NCAA rankings this season. The Nigerian national record holder (1.97m) remains unbeaten outdoors so far and is chasing her first outdoor title.

Elsewhere, Ezekiel Nathaniel began his 2026 season at the Tom Jones Memorial, finishing fourth in his 400m heat with a time of 45.47s. It marked his first individual race since finishing fourth in the 400m hurdles final at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo. The race was won by Christopher Morales-Williams, who posted a world-leading 44.30s.

In the women’s 400m, Chioma Nwachukwu also impressed, setting a new personal best of 51.24s to open her outdoor campaign. Her time places her second on Nigeria’s 2026 rankings, as she becomes one of four Nigerian athletes to have gone under 52 seconds this year.