Dare Babalola
World record holder Tobi Amusan has booked her spot in the women’s 100m hurdles final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo after storming to victory in her semifinal heat on Monday.
She produced a commanding semifinal win in 12.36 seconds (-0.2 m/s).
The world record holder finished ahead of the Netherlands’ Nadine Visser (12.45 s) and Poland’s Pia Skrzyszowska (12.51s) to book her berth in the showpiece.
The 27-year-old hurdler showed composure and control throughout the race, executing her strides smoothly and holding off late pressure from Visser in the closing stages.
With her semifinal victory, the Nigerian star has set the tone for what promises to be an electrifying final as she bids to reclaim global glory and extend her dominance on the world stage.
Drawn in lane four of a loaded semifinal, Amusan faced Visser, who set a personal best of 12.28 in Poland last month, Skrzyszowska with a 12.51 season’s best, and the USA’s Alaysha Johnson, who has run 12.32 this year.
Amusan has long been the standard-bearer for African hurdling.
She made history in 2022 when she became the first Nigerian and the first African to win the 100m hurdles world title, running a wind-aided 12.06 in Oregon after setting the still-standing world record of 12.12 in the semifinals.
Now, with momentum on her side in Tokyo, Amusan will line up in the final looking to add a second world title to her glittering résumé and further cement her place among the greats of the sport.
