By Kazeem Ugbodaga
Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan has reached the final of the Women’s 100m hurdles at the World Athletics Championship in Budapest, Hungary.
Amusan won the second semi final in a time of 10.56 seconds to beat Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent, who came second in a time of 10.60 seconds.
Nadine Visser of Netherlands came third in a time of 10.62 seconds.
The Nigerian hurdlers’ time of 10.56 seconds is far lower than the 10.48 seconds she ran on Tuesday during her heat.
She needs to double her effort if she must retain her title or win gold in the final as Kendra Harrison of the United States of America is posing the biggest threat to her title.
Harrison ran a time of 12.24 seconds in her heat and 12.33 seconds to win her semi-final.
Also, she must be wary of Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Pueto Rico who ran faster than her in the heat and semi-final. Camacho-Quinn won her semi-final in a time of 12.41 seconds.
Amusan is the current World, Commonwealth and African champion in the 100m hurdles, as well as the meet record holder in those three competitions.
Amusan became the first ever Nigerian world champion and world record holder in an athletics event when she won the 2022 World Championships 100 m 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.
She is also the current Diamond league champion in the 100 metres hurdles having won the final in 12.29 seconds (-0.3m/s) winning back to back titles in 2022 and 2023.
