Amusan, Ajayi, Ezekiel, Ogazi Lead Nigeria’s Charge To World Athletics Ultimate Championship

Nigeria is set for a strong representation at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship, with a number of the country’s leading athletes, including Tobi Amusan, Kanyinsola Ajayi, Nathaniel Ezekiel, Samuel Ogazi and Ella Onojuvwevwo, preparing to compete in Budapest, Hungary, from September 11 to 13, 2026.

The three-day championship, to be held at the National Athletics Centre, will bring together Olympic champions, world champions, Diamond League winners and the leading performers of the 2026 season in a new global competition designed to crown the ultimate champions in track and field.

Nigeria’s athletes currently qualified for the championship include Amusan, Ajayi, Ezekiel, Ogazi and Onojuvwevwo, while other athletes will have the opportunity to secure qualification before the deadline on September 2.

Temitope Adeshina remains in contention for qualification, while Nigeria’s relay pool includes Alaba Akintola, Udodi Onwuzurike, Favour Ashe, Miracle Ezechukwu, Rosemary Chigozie and Jennifer Obi Chukwuka, subject to final qualification and selection.

The Nigerian contingent will face a star-studded field in Budapest, with Olympic and world champions such as Mondo Duplantis, Noah Lyles, Julien Alfred, Faith Kipyegon, Yaroslava Mahuchikh, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Rai Benjamin and Marileidy Paulino already qualified.

World champions Femke Bol, Letsile Tebogo, Oblique Seville, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, Nicola Olyslagers and Ditaji Kambundji are also expected to compete.

For Nigeria, the championship represents an important opportunity for an emerging generation led by Ajayi and Ogazi to test themselves against the world’s best, alongside established stars such as Amusan and Ezekiel.

Amusan leads women’s hurdles charge

Amusan remains one of Nigeria’s biggest medal hopes in Budapest.

The reigning world-record holder in the women’s 100m hurdles owns the official world record of 12.12 seconds, set in the semi-finals of the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, where she went on to win Nigeria’s first-ever women’s World Championships gold medal.

A three-time Diamond League Final winner and World Championships silver medallist, Amusan currently sits second in the world rankings for the event.

Ajayi spearheads sprint ambitions

Ajayi heads Nigeria’s men’s 100m hopes after a breakthrough 2026 season that has established him among the world’s elite sprinters.

The 21-year-old has equalled the Nigerian national record three times this year, most recently clocking 9.84 seconds to win the Novuna London Athletics Meet in July. He had previously run the same time at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene.

On both occasions, he defeated reigning world champion Oblique Seville.

Ajayi’s impressive campaign has also included an NCAA title and two Diamond League victories, underlining his rapid rise among the world’s leading sprinters.

Ezekiel carries Commonwealth momentum

Ezekiel will arrive in Budapest buoyed by his Commonwealth Games triumph in Glasgow, where he won the men’s 400m hurdles gold medal in 48.47 seconds.

The Nigerian first announced himself internationally in 2022 by winning the Big 12 title and breaking the national record with 48.42 seconds. He has since represented Nigeria at multiple World Championships and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

He improved the Nigerian record to 47.11 seconds in 2025 and currently ranks fourth in the world, while also having a Diamond League meeting victory to his name.

Ogazi among world’s brightest 400m talents

Ogazi has emerged as one of the most exciting young quarter-milers in world athletics after progressing from Olympic finalist to Commonwealth champion and national record holder.

The 20-year-old produced a superb performance in Glasgow, winning the men’s 400m gold in 44.25 seconds — just 0.01 seconds outside the Commonwealth Games record.

Earlier in the year, Ogazi set a Nigerian national record of 43.38 seconds on June 12. He also clocked 44.52 seconds in the Glasgow semi-finals before delivering the winning performance in the final.

His Commonwealth title was Nigeria’s first-ever men’s 400m gold at the Games and his first senior international medal.

Onojuvwevwo completes formidable 400m contingent

Onojuvwevwo has also enjoyed a breakthrough season, firmly establishing herself among the world’s leading young 400m runners.

The 21-year-old made history in April by running 49.59 seconds at the LSU Battle on the Bayou, becoming the first Nigerian woman in more than two decades to break the 50-second barrier.

She also won the 400m at the 2026 SEC Indoor Championships in 50.96 seconds and later set an African indoor record of 50.28 seconds in the NCAA Indoor Championships semi-finals before claiming bronze in the final.

Her impressive campaign continued at Glasgow 2026, where she won bronze in the women’s 400m in 51.00 seconds.

Relay teams add to Nigeria’s hopes

Nigeria’s relay ambitions will also be strengthened by a pool featuring Akintola, Onwuzurike, Ashe, Ezechukwu, Chigozie and Obi Chukwuka.

The country has already demonstrated its potential in the mixed 4x400m relay, with Ogazi and Onojuvwevwo among the athletes who helped Nigeria qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

With the qualification window remaining open until September 2, Nigeria could yet increase its representation in Budapest.

The inaugural Ultimate Championship carries a record US$10 million prize fund, with each individual gold medallist set to receive US$150,000.

The National Athletics Centre, built for the 2023 World Athletics Championships on the eastern bank of the Danube, will provide the stage for the three-day spectacle as the world’s leading athletes battle for ultimate championship honours.