Nigeria’s sprint queen, Tobi Amusan, claimed a silver medal in the women’s 100 metres hurdles final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Monday, narrowly missing out on defending her crown.
Amusan, the reigning world record holder and 2022 champion, clocked 12.29 seconds in a thrilling race that saw Switzerland’s Ditaji Kambundji storm to gold with a personal best of 12.24s — delivering her country’s first-ever world title in the event.
The 23-year-old Kambundji stunned the field with a late burst that edged Amusan into second place, while American Grace Stark secured bronze in 12.34s. Another American, Masai Russell, finished fourth in 12.44s after the slowest reaction time of the field.
Poland’s Pia Skrzyszowska equalled her season’s best of 12.49s for fifth, closely followed by Bahamian Devynne Charlton who posted the same time. Jamaica’s Danielle Williams, the 2023 world champion, had to settle for seventh in 12.53s, with Nadine Visser of the Netherlands rounding out the line-up in 12.56s.
Earlier in the day, Amusan had looked poised to retain her title after dominating her semi-final heat in 12.36s. But despite a powerful start in the final, she was unable to hold off Kambundji’s blistering finish.
The 28-year-old Nigerian’s silver marks the 12th medal in her country’s history at the World Championships and adds to her remarkable collection, which includes her record-breaking gold in Eugene in 2022.
