By Emmanuel Okogba with agency report
Nigeria’s Kanyinsola Ajayi claimed the bronze medal in the men’s 100m final at the Commonwealth Games on Tuesday, finishing third in a highly competitive race run under torrential rain.
Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme stormed to gold in a new Commonwealth Games record time of 9.83 seconds, while Australia’s Lachlan Kennedy took a surprise silver.
Ajayi produced a strong performance to secure Nigeria’s first medal of the championships in the blue-riband event, despite the challenging weather conditions at the stadium in Scotland.
Eseme’s winning time broke the previous Games record set by Ato Boldon of Trinidad and Tobago 28 years ago in Kuala Lumpur.
The 32-year-old Cameroonian, who only took up track and field eight years ago, expressed surprise at his performance.
“That was a crazy race! I’m surprised at the time,” Eseme said. “The weather I didn’t want to be a setback, because we’re all competing in the same environment, so I can’t have a complaint.”
Ajayi’s bronze medal adds to Nigeria’s growing medal tally at the Games and marks a solid outing for the sprinter in one of the most prestigious events on the athletics programme.
The final was contested in heavy rain, which made conditions difficult for all competitors, but Eseme’s commanding run proved decisive as Ajayi held on for a well-deserved third place.
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