AMUSAN WINS SILVER AS NATHANIEL REACHES SEMIS IN TOKYO

By: Gyang Dakwo

Tobi Amusan gave Nigeria a proud moment on Monday at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo as she won the silver medal in the women’s 100 metres hurdles final with a time of 12.29 seconds.

She ran hard from start to finish and pushed all the way, but she had to settle for second place behind Switzerland’s Ditaji Kambundji who raced to gold in a national record of 12.24 seconds. Grace Stark from the United States took the bronze in 12.34 seconds, and Masai Russell followed in fourth with 12.44 seconds.

Amusan, who is 28, had hoped to reclaim the world title she won in Oregon in 2022 when she became the first Nigerian and the first African to take the 100 metres hurdles crown. She did not get gold this time, yet her silver medal adds to a rich list of honours that already includes the world record of 12.12 seconds, several Diamond League titles, and a Commonwealth Games win.

She missed out on the finals at the last Olympic Games in Paris, but this latest race shows that she still has the pace and grit to challenge the very best.

Now Nigeria’s focus shifts to Ezekiel Nathaniel in the men’s 400 metres hurdles. The 21-year-old ran 48.37 seconds to book his place in the semifinals. He showed calmness and strength as he held his own in a tough race and crossed the line strongly to beat a competitive field.

Nathaniel has grown into one of Africa’s brightest hurdlers, and he will be hoping to advance from Wednesday’s semifinal as he sets his sights on a possible medal in the final.