Ajayi Runs 15th Career Sub-10-Second 100m in Switzerland

Kayinsola Ajayi’s rapid rise continued in Bellinzona, where the Nigerian 100-meter record holder won the Galà dei Castelli in 9.91 seconds.

Running with a legal 0.2 meters-per-second tailwind, Ajayi finished ahead of American Ronnie Baker, who ran 9.94, and South Africa’s Akani Simbine, who took third in 9.95.

The victory gave Ajayi his 15th career sub-10-second race and his ninth legal sub-10 performance of the 2026 season. His campaign began with a 9.96-second win at the Tom Jones Memorial in Gainesville, Florida, in April.

In May, the 21-year-old ran 9.84 at the NCAA Division I East First Round, lowering Olusoji Fasuba’s 20-year-old Nigerian record of 9.85. Ajayi later won the NCAA outdoor 100-meter title, equalled the national record twice and collected two Diamond League victories. He also won bronze at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Ajayi recently signed with Adidas and will give up his final year of eligibility at Auburn University after three seasons. His season is scheduled to end at the World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest in September.