Tobi Amusan Bounces Back, Makes History At Diamond League Finals
BY VICTOR OSOWOCHI – Nigeria star sprinter, Tobi Amusan, easily overcame the disappointment of failing to defend her World title at the World Athletics Championship in Budapest, to win her third consecutive Diamond League crown in the Women’s 100 metres hurdles
In returning to winning ways, Amusan achieved the feat on Sunday by clocking a time of 12.33 seconds at the Diamond League Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon, United States (US).
Amusan started off strong and maintained her lead, clearing the final hurdles with determination and finishing with an impressive season-best time of 12.33 seconds. Closely on her heels was Puerto Rican athlete, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn whose strong chase could only give her second place in a time of 12.38 seconds, while Kendra Harrison from the United States came third with a time of 12.44 seconds.
The outing saw current world champion, Danielle Williams from Jamaica, finishing fourth with a time of 12.47 seconds. Indeed, it was a sweet victory for Amusan, who bounced back in style to make history as the second woman ever in Diamond League history to win three consecutive 100m hurdles titles.
Coming just weeks after finishing in sixth place at the final of the World Athletics Championship in Budapest, Amusan expressed happiness setting the record in Eugene, Oregon, USA, where she won the world title last year.
The Ogun State-born athlete had a fantastic 2022 delivering brilliant performances at the Diamond League, Commonwealth Games, and World Athletics Championships. Also, she became the first Nigerian world champion after she clocked a wind-aided 12.06 seconds, ineligible as a world record because of +2.5 meters per second strong wind.
The sprinter consolidated her feat with a gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games before retaining her Diamond League title to put a brilliant wrap on her season. Nominated for the 2023 Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year award in February, the award recognises individuals and teams from the world of sports along with sporting achievements throughout the year under review.
Amusan won her first Diamond League trophy in 2021 in 12.42 seconds and successfully defended the title last year with a wind-aided 12.06 seconds. With this victory, she now joins Dawn Nelson-Harper in the Diamond League history books as the only two women to win a hat-trick of 100m hurdles titles.
Harper is the first American 100-meter hurdler to ever win gold at an Olympics and medal in the following Olympics. She was trained by Bob Kersee, husband of Jackie Joyner-Kersee, a six-time Olympic medalist also from her hometown of East St. Louis, Illinois.
After winning a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the governor of her home state of Illinois named October 6 as Dawn Harper Day to honor her achievements. She serves as the spokesperson for the American Diabetes Association and a community ambassador for United Way of Greater St. Louis.
She supports the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation, which helps tutor children in the St. Louis area and is currently preparing to earn her Ph.D. in psychology while also taking a course in French. – With agency reports
