Tobilola Amusan has won the 100m hurdles at the Diamond League, becoming the first Nigerian to clinch the prize in the competition.
Apart from the feat recorded on Thursday, she set a new 12.42s African Record at the Weltklasse in Zurich, Switzerland.
The 24-year-old beat Netherlands’ Naddine Visser and Jamaica’s Megan Tapper who finished as first and second runners-up respectively.
Her winning time crushed the record set by fellow Nigerian Glory Alozie (12.44s) in 1999. By this feat, she will be going home with $30,000 prize money.
Amusan is the second Nigerian to win a World Athletics elite one-day meetings discipline, following in the steps of Falilat Ogunkoya who clinched the 400m champion at the Grand Prix final in 1998 in Moscow, Russia.
She is also the third athlete from Nigeria to win at the Letzigrund Stadion after Innocent Egbunike and Seun Ogunkoya.
‘I Never Gave Up’
An elated Amusan while reacting to the feat revealed that her outing at the Tokyo Games – where she did not make the podium – pushed her to aim for the Diamond League Trophy.
”It’s great, it is a great feeling,” she said. “Looking back, I did not win a medal at the Olympics. It was a very challenging time for me, but I never gave up. I came out here, and I was like… if I did not get a medal in Tokyo, the least I can do is to get a Diamond League Trophy – I did just that!
“The hurdles is a very mental event and my coach is always telling me I need to focus on myself and execute. Once you execute, you don’t have a problem going over the hurdles. I’m glad I came out with a win. I have one more meeting in Zagreb, and I can go take the season off. I am really looking forward to it.”
