World Champion Tobi Amusan has embarked on her title defence at the World Athletics Championship with a triumphant start, seizing first place in Heat 5 with a remarkable time of 12.48 seconds.
The record-breaking world hurdles holder dashed through the course in just 12.48 seconds (with a mere 0.4-second breeze) to secure victory in the fifth heat of the women’s 100-metre hurdles. She did this despite facing the challenge of not having ample time to decelerate as she approached the finish line at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest, Hungary.
Although she faced a sluggish beginning, she managed to outpace Jamaican Champion Megan Tapper, who clinched the second position with a time of 12.51 seconds, and Australian Michelle Jenneke, who finished in 12.71 seconds.
Competing in Heat 5 alongside Ebony Morrison, Michelle Jenneke, Maayke Tjin-a-lim, Natalia Christofi, Nika Glojnaric, and Maayke Tjin-a-lim, Amusan is now set to lead the pack in the semi-finals scheduled for Wednesday at 7:20 PM Nigerian time.
At the 2022 World Championship held in Eugene, USA, Amusan triumphed with a blazing time of 12.40 seconds, setting a new African record. She went on to shatter the world record, clocking an astonishing 12.12 seconds, surpassing Kendra Harrison’s 2016 record of 12.20 seconds.
It’s worth recalling that concerns had arisen regarding Amusan’s eligibility for the championship in Budapest. However, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) cleared Amusan of any wrongdoing just two days before the championship’s commencement.
In an official statement, the Disciplinary Tribunal declared, “A panel of the Disciplinary Tribunal, by majority decision, has today (Thursday) found that Tobi Amusan has not committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) of three Whereabouts Failures within a 12-month period.”
Amusan stands as one of Nigeria’s most promising medal prospects at the championship, especially following a challenging start marked by Ese Brume’s fourth-place finish in the women’s long jump event on Sunday.
The world hurdles champion has been enjoying a remarkable streak of success, not only setting the current world record for the women’s 100m hurdles at 12.12 seconds but also securing a world title in record-breaking fashion with a time of 12.06 seconds.
In addition, she defended her Commonwealth Games title, establishing a new Games’ record of 12.30 seconds and retaining her Diamond League title during a season filled with impressive records and victories across the Nigerian, African, Commonwealth, World, and Diamond League championships.
