Amusan Chasing History as Ezekiel, Ajayi Aim for First Diamond League Glory in Brussels
Duro Ikhazuagbe
Three Nigerian athletes, Oluwatobiloba Amusan, Kanyisola Ajayi and Ezekiel Nathaniel, can change the country’s current sports narrative this weekend should any of the trio emerge champion of their various events at the 2026 season-ending Wanda Diamond League grand finale at the Allianz Memorial Van Damme in Brussels today and Saturday.
It will be a refreshing news, away from the controversy generated by the resignation of the Ibrahim Gusau-led board of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Four years ago, Amusan shot to the top of the women’s100m hurdles with a world record of 12.12secs set at the 2022 World Athletics Championship in Eugene, USA. However, Tobi Express’ reign as the world record holder ended last week in Zurich as Masai Russell, the American lady who has been on her heels all through this year, snatched the top honour with a new 12.09sec.
Russell who won the Olympic Games gold medal of the event in Paris two years ago is arriving in Brussels armed with four defeats of Amusan this season. However, in this winner-takes-all grand finale, nothing is impossible!
The 29-year-old Amusan who is fired by the Nigerian spirit, has done it before. She makes hay when least expected. Competing in her first Diamond League final since 2023 could be the tonic that the Sagamu, Ogun State-born barrier sprinter needed to reclaim her world title and add her fourth Diamond League title to her rich CV. It therefore remains to be seen how this petit hurdler can make this possible on Saturday evening in the Belgium capital.
Other challengers include world indoor champion Devynne Charlton and Nadine Visser of the Netherlands.
Today in the men’s 100m grand finale, Kanyisola Ajayi who was tipped to win the Commonwealth Games gold in Glasgow, Scotland but settled for the bronze may use this finale of the Diamond League to prove a point.
The 21-year-old Nigerian record holder will contest the men’s 100m after securing his place as a global wildcard. He has already won two Diamond League meetings this season, clocking 9.84 seconds in both Eugene and London, and will now attempt to become the first Nigerian man to win the Diamond League 100m title.
Ajayi also goes into the final with a strong record against several of his expected rivals.
He has beaten Jamaica’s Oblique Seville three times in five meetings, holds a 4-1 advantage over South Africa’s Akani Simbine and leads Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme 4-2. He is also unbeaten against American Trayvon Bromell, while his records against Christian Coleman, Lachlan Kennedy and Gift Leotlela are more closely contested.
Those numbers provide Ajayi with confidence, but the Nigerian knows the final will be decided by one race. Seville, the reigning world champion, and a host of other elite sprinters will stand between him and a historic Diamond Trophy.
Nathaniel Ezekiel, meanwhile, returns to the Diamond League Final determined to go one better than he did last year.
The 23-year-old Nigerian finished runner-up in the 400m hurdles at last year’s final and has earned another opportunity to fight for the title. He has run 47.37 seconds this season and owns a personal best of 47.11.
His biggest obstacle in Brussels will be Brazil’s Alison dos Santos, who arrives in extraordinary form after smashing the world record with 45.80 seconds in Zurich last week.
Dos Santos will line up in Brussels as the new world-record holder, having taken 0.14 seconds off Karsten Warholm’s previous mark.
Warholm will not compete in Brussels, giving Ezekiel one fewer major rival to contend with, but the Nigerian will still need a career-best performance if he is to challenge the Brazilian for the Diamond League crown.
The final night in Brussels gives the Diamond League winners in events contested at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship automatic qualification to the US$10million showdown the following week in Budapest, Hungary.