NIGERIAN sprint hurdler Tobi Amusan provided the biggest highlight of the World Athletics Diamond League finals in Zurich, Switzerland on Thursday night with several stunning achievements.
The 24-year-old not only won the women’s 100m hurdles race, she also broke a long-standing record in the process.
After narrowly missing out on medals at the Tokyo Olympics by placing fourth in the final, Amusan finally won something big on Thursday.
She beat a strong field to win the 2021 women’s 100m hurdles Diamond Trophy in a personal best 12.42 seconds.
The time is the new African record in the event, breaking the 12.44 seconds set by another Nigerian great Glory Alozie in 1998.
Amusan has also become the first Nigerian athlete ever to win a Diamond League Trophy since its inception in 2010.
Along with the Diamond Trophy and African record, Amusan also took home the $30,000 grand prize and secured a guaranteed spot in the 2023 World Athletics Championships on a spectacular night of triumph.
Nadine Visser of the Netherlands came second in a new personal best and national record 12.51s, while Jamaica’s Megan Tapper finished third in 12.55s.
In another record-setting race in the Diamond League finals on Thursday night, Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah won the women’s 100m title in a new meeting record 10.65s, beating Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith to second place (10.87s) and home girl Ajila Del Ponte of Switzerland to third in 10.93s.
United States of America’s Fred Kerley won the men’s 100m in 9.87s ahead of Olympic 200m champion Andre De Grasse of Canada (9.89s), while America’s Michael Cherry won a tight men’s 400m race in 44.41s, just ahead of Grenada’s Kirani James (44.42s).
