Fasuba reacts as Ajayi ends his 20-year reign as Nigeria’s fastest man

Former Nigerian sprint star Olusoji Fasuba has congratulated Kanyinsola Ajayi after the 20-year-old shattered his long-standing national 100m record.

Ajayi made history on Friday at the NCAA East Regionals in the United States, blazing to a remarkable 9.84 seconds to become the fastest Nigerian man ever and set a new national record.

The time erased the previous mark of 9.85 seconds set by Fasuba in Doha in 2006, a record that had stood for two decades. Fasuba’s performance also held as the African record for 15 years before it was eventually surpassed.

Reacting to the achievement in a Facebook post, Fasuba said he was delighted to see the record finally broken by a new generation athlete.

“Not every day does one wake up to see a long-standing record broken,” Fasuba wrote.

“Twenty years ago, in Doha, I ran 9.85s, a performance that stood as the Nigerian record for two decades and also stood as the African record for 15 years. To have held those records for that length of time was a great honour and one of the proudest moments of my career.”

The former African champion revealed that he had predicted Ajayi’s rise two years ago.

“Two years ago, I predicted that this young talent would be one of the athletes capable of breaking my Nigerian 100m record, and today he has done exactly that.

“Congratulations, Kanyinsola Ajayi.”

Fasuba described the development as a positive sign for Nigerian athletics and men’s sprinting in particular.

“The joy in my heart knows no bounds because this is the kind of improvement I have been clamouring for from Nigerian men’s sprinting. Records are not meant to stand forever. They are meant to inspire the next generation to dream bigger, work harder and push the boundaries even further.”

Ajayi’s record-breaking run not only secured qualification for the NCAA Championships but also moved him to the top of the 2026 world rankings. He now holds the world-leading time this season and ranks as the second-fastest collegiate athlete in history over the 100m.

Fasuba believes the Auburn University athlete can achieve even more in the years ahead.

“The possibility of Nigeria taking back the African record is now realistic once again, and Kanyinsola has shown that he has the talent to chase that target,” he said.

The sprint legend also urged continued investment in discovering and developing young talents, noting that successful athletics nations consistently produce new champions.

“Congratulations once again, Kanyinsola. Enjoy this moment. You have made Nigeria proud, and I look forward to seeing how much further you can take it.”