Bayanda Walaza from South Africa and Rasheed Abdul Saminu from Ghana put on an exciting show in the men’s 100m at the 2026 Palio Città della Quercia, turning in strong performances that keep their Olympic hopes for Los Angeles 2028 alive.
Walaza won Race A and set a new meet record with a time of 9.91 seconds (+0.5m/s), confirming his status as one of Africa’s top sprinters. His personal best is still 9.89 seconds (+1.0m/s).
Saminu from Ghana finished a close second in 10.01 seconds, matching his season best and showing he is quickly making a name for himself internationally.
Eliezer Adjibi of Canada took third place with a time of 10.09 seconds, and Kadrian Goldson from Jamaica came in fourth at 10.12 seconds.
As the 2028 Olympics approach, Walaza and Saminu continue to improve and gain experience, which could help them become Africa’s leading sprinters in Los Angeles.
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