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Glasgow 2026 Day Two - Evening Session Round Up
28/07/2026 00:00, I Mewn Blog / Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games - Latest News /
Jeremiah Azu matched his 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games 100m final performance on Tuesday night as he finished fifth in dreadful weather conditions at Scotstoun Stadium.
The Welsh record holder had produced a season’s best performance in the semi-final to secure an automatic place for the final which would take place just over two hours later.
With torrential rain falling form slate grey Glaswegian skies, Azu, the only Welsh athlete in action during the session, looked full of energy as the finalists were welcomed on to the track one by one.
Once again, the renowned fast starter was quickly out of the blocks and smoothly into his running during the early stages.
But in an incredibly high class race given the rain, the Welshman wasn’t quite able to challenge the leaders over the final metres as he crossed the line in fifth place, clocking 10.03.
Illustrating the sheer quality of the final, the winner Emmanuel Eseme, of Cameron, scorched over the sodden track in a new Commonwealth Games record and African area record of 9.83.
Lachlan Kennedy, of Australia was second in an area record of 9.85 with Kayinsola Ajayi, of Nigeria third in 9.90.
Azu had given absolutely everything in his bid for a podium place, but in an endearingly honest interview after the race, he acknowledged it hadn’t quite been enough on the night.
Commenting on the race, Azu said:
“It felt good. I felt my drive phase was good, transition was good. Upright, it felt good. Honestly, the race felt good.
“I feel like I did everything I personally could have. I just didn’t run quick enough pretty much. Simple.”
Azu also had a special message for Welsh fans who have supported his career so far and particularly his campaign in Glasgow.
“Diolch. Thank you for supporting me,”
he said.
“Thank you for believing in me. We’ve seen the competition is amazing, but I’m sure they all still thought I could go out there and get on the podium, which means a lot to me.
“It’s very important for me to feel supported and appreciated. I think the Welsh fans have done that for me. So, yeah, thank you.”
Azu looked to be in fine form during his semi-final earlier in the evening.
Heavy rain in the hours before the evening session had left the newly laid state-of-the-art Scotstoun track covered in water – the stadium floodlights reflecting brightly in the puddles.
Azu, who had experienced far worse conditions in the 2023 UK Championships 100m final, was drawn in lane two of the second-semi-final.
And the Welshman shrugged off the conditions – almost appearing to revel in the rain as he made his customary flying start.
Azu kept his form throughout the race as he and Nigeria’s Kayinsola Ajayi put distance between them and the rest of the field.
Ajayi took the win in 9.94, but Azu secured his automatic place in the final with a brilliant season’s best time of 10.00.
The 25-year-old looked delighted with his performance as he wound down beyond the finishing line before turning to celebrate with clenched fists and disappearing out of the rain into the stadium tunnel where he let out a roar of delight.
Considering the dreadful conditions, the times produced in the semi-finals were impressive with Emmanuel Eseme, of Cameroon, leading the way with 9.89. Azu’s time was the joint fourth fastest.