Nigerian athletes yesterday were the synosure of all eyes as Tobi Amusan, the Nigerian sprinter, broke the women’s 100 meters hurdles twice first with 12.12 seconds and 12.06 en route to winning the gold medal at the World Athletic Championship.
With this fear, the 25-year-old becomes the first Nigerian to win a gold medal at the world championship with a spirited display in Eugene, Oregon, in the early hours of Monday.
it was indeed a night of domination for the Nigerian, as she ended Keni Harrison of USA world’s record of 12.20 from 2016 with 12.12 in the semi-final with a crowning effort and wind-aided 12.06 second to clinch gold.
Jamaican Britany Anderson took silver, followed by Olympic gold medalist Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico.
Last year, Amusan also became the first Nigerian to win a Diamond League trophy when she finished first in the meets final in Zurich.
“Honestly, I believe in my abilities but I was not expecting a world record at these championships,” she said.
“The goal is always just to execute well and get the win. So the world record is a bonus. I knew I had it in me but I could not believe it when I saw it on the screen after the semis.
“Before the final, I just tried to stay calm and to do my best. I took a deep breath knowing that I have some goal to accomplish and it worked pretty good. I knew it was very fast but not this fast.”
Another Nigerian was also on the world map as Ese Brume clinched the silver medal in the women’s long jump. She leaped to 7.02 metres to better her bronze medal finish in the 2019 World Championship.
No Comment