Nigeria is gearing up for a formidable showing at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship, scheduled to take place from September 11–13, 2026, at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest, Hungary.
The highly anticipated three-day championship will gather Olympic gold medalists, World champions, Diamond League winners, and the absolute best performers of the 2026 season. They will compete for a record-breaking $10 million prize pot, with each individual gold medalist set to walk away with $150,000.
Leading the charge for Team Nigeria is a powerful mix of established global stars and sensational young talents. The current list of qualified athletes includes world-record holder Tobi Amusan, Commonwealth champion Samuel Ogazi, sprint sensation Kayinsola Ajayi, Nathaniel Ezekiel, and Ella Onojuvwevwo. The Nigerian contingent will test their mettle against an exceptional global field featuring headline names like Mondo Duplantis, Noah Lyles, Julien Alfred, Faith Kipyegon, Yaroslava Mahuchikh, and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.
Highlighting the standout Nigerian athletes who have already punched their tickets to Budapest is Tobi Amusan in the women’s 100m hurdles. The reigning world-record holder (12.12s) and three-time Diamond League Final winner enters the competition as a heavy favorite. Currently ranked No. 2 in the world, Amusan will be looking to add the Ultimate Championship crown to her legendary resume.
Joining her is Kayinsola Ajayi in the men’s 100m. The 21-year-old has enjoyed a meteoric rise to the upper echelon of global sprinting this season. Ranked fifth globally, Ajayi has equaled the Nigerian national record three times in 2026, clocking a blistering 9.84 seconds twice to defeat reigning world champion Oblique Seville. With an NCAA title and two Diamond League victories this year, he is one of Nigeria’s strongest 100m prospects in decades.
In the men’s 400m hurdles, Nathaniel Ezekiel, currently ranked No. 4 in the world, heads to Budapest fresh off a resounding gold medal victory (48.47s) at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The national record holder (47.11s) and Diamond League meeting winner has firmly established himself as one of the premier hurdlers on the planet.
Samuel Ogazi continues to shine in the men’s 400m. At just 20 years old, Ogazi has transitioned from a teenage Olympic finalist to a Commonwealth champion. He delivered a stunning 44.25-second run to win gold in Glasgow—just 0.01 seconds shy of the Games record. Holding the Nigerian national record at 43.38 seconds, he is officially recognized as the fourth-fastest man in history over 400m by Commonwealth Sport.
Rounding out the top individual qualifiers is Ella Onojuvwevwo in the women’s 400m. The 21-year-old quarter-miler has had a historic breakthrough season. She became the first Nigerian woman in over two decades to break the 50-second barrier, clocking 49.59s in April. She also set an African indoor record (50.28s) and recently captured a bronze medal at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
Nigeria is also looking to make a massive impact in the relays, a pool that has already proven its global pedigree following their qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympics in the mixed 4x400m. The current relay pool features Alaba Akintola, Udodi Onwuzurike, Favour Ashe, Miracle Ezechukwu, Rosemary Chigozie, and Jennifer Obi Chukwuka.
With the qualification window remaining open until September 2, additional Nigerian athletes—including high jumper Temitope Adeshina—are still pushing to secure their spots on the roster before the team departs for the historic capital of Hungary.
