Incredible Ajayi Equals 6.45 African and Championships Record to Win Second SEC 60m Title
Kanyinsola Ajayi delivered a blistering performance at the SEC Indoor Track and Field Championships in Bryan-College Station, Texas, storming to victory in the men’s 60m final with a record-equaling 6.45 seconds.
The 21-year-old Nigerian sprinter matched the African record set by Ghana’s Leonard Myles-Mills in 1999, reclaiming the title he lost last year after a disqualification for a false start.
Ajayi, a World Championships 100m finalist, had already signaled his intent in Friday’s opening round, clocking 6.52 seconds to qualify for the final.
In Saturday’s showdown, he went one better, surpassing his own Nigerian record of 6.48 seconds set last year and etching his name alongside the continent’s fastest-ever indoor sprinters.
Israel Okon, representing Auburn, secured silver with a strong 6.54 finish, marking his second consecutive podium after placing second in 2025. Fellow Nigerian Adekanu Fakorede completed the race in 6.69 seconds.
Ajayi’s triumph also places him among the elite in collegiate and meet history.
He has broken the 6.48 SEC meet record set by Tennessee’s Leonard Scott in 2001, while the collegiate record stands at 6.45 seconds, shared by himself, Christian Coleman, and Leonard Myles-Mills. He also broke Okon’s 6.51 Facility record.
