Nigerian athlete, Tobi Amusan has set a new record by winning the 100 meters hurdles gold at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, the United Kingdom.
The 25-year-old clocked 12.30 seconds to set a new games record. This is coming two weeks after she became the first Nigerian athlete to win a World Athletics Championship gold as she stormed to victory in the women’s 100m hurdles in Oregon.
Amusan, who had obliterated the world record in an astonishing semi-final where she clocked 12.12sec, powered over the line at Hayward Field in 12.06sec.
Her winning time will not be recognised as a world record, however, due to a strong following win of 2.5 meters per second. Jamaica’s Britany Anderson took silver in 12.23sec, while Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico claimed bronze in 12.23.
Amusan had produced a jaw-dropping world record in the semi-finals, smashing the previous best mark of 12.20secs held by Keni Harrison of the United States in 2016.
“Honestly, I believe in my abilities but I was not expecting a world record at these championships. 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 goals to accomplish and it worked pretty well. I knew it was very fast but not this fast,” Amusan said after her final victory.
