24th August, 2023
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
Nigeria’s medal hopeful, Tobi Amusan failed to defend her world championship title in Budapest as she placed 6th in the final of Women’s 100m hurdles on Thursday.
Amusan ran 12.62 seconds to come 6th in the race won by Jamaica’s Danielle Williams in a time of 12.43 seconds.
Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Pueto Rico came second in a time of 12.44 seconds, while favourite, Kendra Harrison came third in a time of 12.46 seconds. Harrison had run 12.24 seconds in the heat, but she could not replicate it in the final that could have given her the gold.
Though she won her heat and semi-final race, Amusan had been poor at the tournament. She ran a time of 12.48 seconds in he heat and 12.56 seconds.
She was initially suspended from the World Athletics championship in Budapest by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) after she was accused of missing three whereabouts.
She was cleared two days to the tournament by a panel of disciplinary tribunal. Her preparation for the tournament has been doubtful.
Despite her poor performance in the final, Amusan still holds the world record in women’s 100m hurdles.
She became the first ever Nigerian world champion and world record holder in an athletics event when she won the 2022 World Championships 100m hurdles gold medal, setting the current world record of 12.12 seconds (+0.9m/s) in the semi-final, followed up by a 12.06 seconds (+2.5m/s) in the final.
She won back-to-back Commonwealth and African titles in 2018 and 2022 in the 100 m hurdles and is also a two-time African Games champion in the event