NIgeria’s fastest man Kanyinsola Ajayi endured a close and tough 100m Men’s final at the Commonwealth Games to win a bronze.
Ajayi arrived the Games as Nigeria’s brightest prospect in the dash.
Emmanuel Eseme of Cameroon, and New Zealand’s Zoe Hobbs defied the rain to take gold in the blue-riband sprint event.
Eseme had qualified fastest for the Men’s Sprint Final in a lifetime best of 9.89 seconds and in the final improved that by 0.6 seconds for a Games record of 9.83 as he held off the challenge of Australia’s Lachlan Kennedy and Kayinsola Ajayi, of Nigeria, for his nation’s first medal of Glasgow 2026.
He said after the race: “It’s like the hard work has paid off,” Eseme (pictured) said. “I worked so hard for this and to be able to reap from all the work I’m doing, I just say thanks to god and my team and I’m very happy.
“After the semi-final, I just said to myself, ‘You may not be the best starter. They may let you go in the first 50 metres, but just keep it, don’t rush anything and just execute your race’.
“Somehow at the end I know I’m going to catch them.”
In the Women’s race, New Zealand’s Zoe Hobbs Hobbs was in shock at the end of the women’s race after winning in a personal best and Oceania record 10.93, ahead of England’s Amy Hunt and Torri Lewis of Australia.
“This is the stuff of dreams,” the 28-year-old said.
“I’ve chipped away for so many years now with my team, so to be walking away with any colour of medal, let alone a gold, is just incredible.
“Qualifying for this event was so much harder for us than qualifying for the Olympics.
“I was in disbelief at the end. I needed to see the result on the board to have it solidified in my mind.”
