By Dorcas Francis Koji
Nigerian sprint sensation Kayinsola Ajayi has been confirmed to compete in the men’s 100m at the Wanda Diamond League Final in Brussels, Belgium, on Saturday, giving the Nigerian record holder another opportunity to cap a remarkable season on a high.
The prestigious meeting will take place at the Allianz Memorial Van Damme, where Ajayi will line up against some of the world’s fastest sprinters.
Although the 21-year-old did not secure his place through the Diamond League points standings, he has been admitted as a global wildcard based on his outstanding world ranking in the 100m this season.
Under Diamond League regulations, meeting organisers can invite up to four global wildcard athletes — two men and two women — to compete at the season-ending final.
The rules state that a global wildcard athlete must have competed in at least one Diamond League meeting during the season and must satisfy at least one qualifying criterion, including being a world-record holder, reigning world, Olympic or Diamond League champion, or ranked among the world’s top five in the event.
Ajayi comfortably meets the ranking requirement, entering the Brussels final as the fourth fastest man in the world over 100m this year.
He trails Olympic champion Noah Lyles, world champion Oblique Seville and Commonwealth Games champion Emmanuel Eseme on the season’s rankings.
The Nigerian has also enjoyed considerable success on the Diamond League circuit, winning the 100m at both the London Diamond League and the Prefontaine Classic this season.
His participation in Brussels comes despite Belgium’s Simon Verherstraeten being added to the 100m field as a national wildcard. Under the rules, a national wildcard and global wildcard cannot normally occupy the same event, but Ajayi was cleared to compete following the withdrawal of African record holder Ferdinand Omanyala.
Victory in Brussels would see Ajayi crowned Diamond League champion and earn the prestigious Diamond Trophy, although he would not be entitled to the full prize purse.
The Nigerian sprinter has enjoyed a breakthrough year, highlighted by his stunning 9.84-second Nigerian record at the 2026 NCAA Division I East First Round in the United States in May.
The performance saw him erase Olusoji Fasuba’s long-standing Nigerian record of 9.85 seconds, which had stood for 20 years.
Ajayi subsequently won the NCAA 100m title before adding a bronze medal in the event at the Commonwealth Games.
He has also continued to demonstrate remarkable consistency, recording the 15th sub-10-second performance of his career in Switzerland on Sunday.
With another elite field awaiting him in Brussels, Ajayi will be aiming to add the Diamond Trophy to an already impressive list of achievements and further establish himself among the leading sprinters in world athletics.
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