Nigerian athlete, Tobi Amusan celebrates after setting a world record in the women’s 100m hurdles final during the World Athletics Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
She becomes the first Nigerian athlete to win a World Athletics Championship gold.
Amusan had broken the world record in the semi-final where she timed 12.12 seconds, powered over the line at Hayward Field in an extraordinary 12.06 seconds.
During the World Athletics Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon on July 24, 2022, she crosses the finish line ahead of Jamaica’s Britany Anderson and Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of team Puerto Rico to win the women’s 100m hurdles final.
Amusan had achieved an impressive world record in the semi-finals, breaking the previous best mark of 12.20 seconds held by American Kendra Harrison since 2016.
“Honestly, I believe in my abilities, but I was not expecting a world record at these championships,” Amusan said after her final victory. “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.”
Oregon 2022 is Amusan’s third appearance at the World Championships after making her debut in London in 2017 where she made the semi-finals before finishing 4th in the final in Doha in 2019. She also placed 4th at the Tokyo Olympics.
The 25-year-old has been in the form of her life in recent times breaking the African record three times in the space of 10 months and finally striking gold on the biggest of stages is the befitting way to end her wait for a world championship medal.
