Nigerian sprinter, Hurdler Tobi Amusan is now the first Nigerian athlete to win a World Athletics Championship gold as she stormed to victory in the women’s 100m hurdles in Oregon on Sunday
Tobi Amusan, a Nigerian born athlete shocked the world in the early hours of Monday with a new record in the women 100m race in Eugene, Oregon.
Amusan, born on 23 April 1997 is a Nigerian track and field athlete who specialises in the 100 metres hurdles and also competes as a sprinter.
The Nigerian had on Sunday won the 2022 World Athletics Championships in the 100 metres hurdles, setting a new world record of 12.12 seconds in the semifinal, afterwards a 12.06 in the final.
The 25 Year-Old was the 2018 Commonwealth and 2018 African champion as well as a two-time African Games champion in the event.
She has also won the Diamond League Trophy in Zurich in 2021 in the 100m hurdles.
She has a total of 17 titles to her name. Her breakthrough began in Warri when she came second and third in 100m and long jump event respectively at the African Youth Championships 2013, a competition for young African athlete aged fifteen to seventeen.
LIST OF TITLES
2013 African Youth Championships Warri, Nigeria 2nd in 100 m hurdles and 3rd Long jump
2014 African Youth Games Gaborone, Botswana 2nd in 100 m hurdles .
2015 African Junior Championships Addis Ababa 1st in 100m hurdles and African Games Brazzaville, Republic of Congo 1st 100m in hurdles
2016 World U20 Championships Bydgoszcz, Poland 5th in 100 m hurdles.
2018 Commonwealth Games Gold Coast, Australia, 1st in 100m hurdles; 3rd in 4 × 100 m relay; African Championships Asaba, Nigeria 1st in 100 m hurdles and 1st 4 × 100 m relay.
2021 Olympic Games Tokyo, Japan 4th in 100 m hurdles
2022 African Championships Port Louis, Mauritius 1st in 100 m hurdles and 1st 4 × 100 m relay
2022 World Championships Oregon, USA 1st in 100 m hurdles.
Last year, Amusan also became the first Nigerian to win a Diamond League trophy when she finished first in the meets final in Zurich.
She said: “Honestly, I believe in my abilities but I was not expecting a world record at these championships.”
“The goal is always just to execute well and get the win. So the world record is a bonus. I knew I had it in me but I could not believe it when I saw it on the screen after the semis.
“Before the final, I just tried to stay calm and to do my best. I took a deep breath knowing that I have some goal to accomplish and it worked pretty good. I knew it was very fast but not this fast.”
