Nigerian athletes Kanyinsola Ajayi and Ezekiel Nathaniel both delivered commendable performances, securing fourth-place finishes in their respective events at the Silesia Diamond League.
Competing in a fiercely contested men’s 100m final, Ajayi raced to a brilliant time of 9.94 seconds to finish fourth.
The race was won by Jamaica’s Oblique Seville, who shattered the meeting record with a blistering 9.83 seconds. American sprinters Kenny Bednarek (9.87s) and Christian Coleman (9.93s) took second and third places, respectively.
Ajayi’s stellar outing placed him ahead of world-class names like Canada’s Andre De Grasse and South Africa’s Akani Simbine, continuing his strong momentum following his podium successes at the Commonwealth Games.
Men’s 400m Hurdles
In the men’s 400m hurdles, compatriot Ezekiel Nathaniel also put up a stellar fight against a world-class field, crossing the finish line in fourth place with a fast time of 47.83 seconds.
Alison Dos Santos took the win in a World Lead of 46.43s ahead of Karsten Warholm, who clocked a Season Best of 46.52s, while Matheus Lima ran a Personal Best of 47.26s to finish third.
Fresh off making history as a Commonwealth champion, Nathaniel maintained his composure amongst elite global competitors, holding off strong challenges from international counterparts like Sweden’s Oskar Edlund and Turkey’s Ismail Nezir.
The impressive outings by both Ajayi and Nathaniel further underline the growing presence and competitiveness of Nigerian track and field athletes on the elite Diamond League circuit.
