In the women’s 100m hurdles, Tobi Amusan became the first Nigerian athlete to win a World Athletics Championship gold medal when she surged to victory.
After breaking the world record in the semi-final with a time of 12.12 seconds, Amusan sprinted across the finish line at Hayward Field in a time of 12.06 seconds.
However, due to a strong subsequent win of 2.5 meters per second, her winning time will not be recognized as a world record.
Britany Anderson of Jamaica came in second with a time of 12.23 seconds, while Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico got bronze with a time of 12.23.
After surpassing the previous world record of 12.20 seconds held by Keni Harrison of the United States since 2016, Amusan produced a jaw-dropping record in the semi-finals.
Even though Amusan is confident in her ability, she admits that she didn’t anticipate to set a world record during these championships. There is no other objective except to perform well in order to obtain a victory. As a result, setting a new record is merely an added perk. After the semis, when I saw my name on the scoreboard, I couldn’t believe it.
The day before the final, I just tried to be cool and perform my best. To help me focus, I took a deep breath and reminded myself that I have a goal to work toward. However, I had no idea how quickly it was going.
After being left in Amusan’s dust in the semifinals, Harrison had to deal with the Nigerian again in the championship game.
After the first hurdle, Amusan had a commanding lead over Anderson and Camacho-Quinn, who were closing fast, but she was able to hold on for the win.
