Sports
TOBI AMUSAN: From Unknown to Unforgettable
… The story of 25-Year Old Nigerian Accidental Hurdler
By Paul Eso
After nine days 0f track and field events on the Hayward Field in Oregon, Nigeria was battling a drought of medals at the 2022 World Athletic Championship. Results were not going in tandem with the expectations and quality of talents of the Nigerian contingents. Several events completed, no podium finish and little excitement.
But everything changed when Tobi Amusan lined up for the semi-final of the women’s 100 meters hurdles on the final day of the tournament. With the wind to her spikes, she glided over all the 10 hurdles with swooshing ease to become the fastest female hurdler in the world.
At 12.12 seconds, she buried US Kandra Harrison’s record of six years ago. And that was only the beginning of a night that an Ijebu Ode-born girl would chisel her name in gold on the summit of world athletics history.
Barely two hours later, she returned to the tracks and, with her braids behind her like a cape, blitzed to the finish line at an even faster 12.06 seconds — it was wind-aided and ineligible for a world record — to become the first Nigerian to win a gold medal at the World Athletic Championship.
But Amusan probably did not fully digest the magnitude of the feats she had spurned on the night until the patriotic tunes of Nigeria’s national anthem blazoned during the medal presentation. The 25-year-old’s face was wet with tears as she sang “the labour of our heroes past shall never be in vain.”
Amusan suddenly realised she’s one of those “heroes” now.
Her name will be taught as a source of inspiration to millions of children. Her feat is an oasis for Nigerians inundated by the acridity of the country’s security challenges. Her reign as Nigeria’s “queen of the track” has begun.
Amusan’s ascendancy into athletics royalty had been foreseen years prior, with different coaches marvelling at her lightning-quick box of talent. However, it has been a rugged climb to the top rather than a quick dash for the fast legs of the Nigerian.
From Ijebu to El Paso
Amusan was born on April 23, 1997, in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State. She was born into a family with a sports background as her mother once played volleyball. Her track and field talent was discovered at the Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School in her hometown.
She began considering the path of professional athletics when she represented Nigeria at the first edition of the African Youth Athletics Championship in 2013. At 16, she competed in the 200 meters sprint and won silver for the country.
Two years later, she was part of the contingent for the 2015 African Youth Athletics Championship and she won the gold medal with 14.26 seconds in the women’s 100 meters hurdles. It was a huge feat for the teenager but it would cost her a potential scholarship in the US.
“My school [University of Texas, El Paso] had been contacting me since 2014 before I went for the 2015 African Junior Championships. But there I ran above 14 seconds and they told me it wasn’t up to the standard for recruiting for the NCAAs Division 1 level,” she had said in one interview.
However, she funnelled her disappointment into a three-month training for the 2015 African Games in Brazzaville, Congo. She went into the competition ranked distant 10th. Amusan would then break the African U20 record twice as she ran 13.15 to win the gold medal in the women’s 100 meters hurdles. The school came calling again, this time with ferocity and desperation.
“You don’t even want to know about the phone calls [from UTEP]! They were killing me with calls! “Can you send this, can you send that?!” Amusan said.
Accidental Hurdler
Amusan’s sprint career did not start as a hurdler but fate and a blessing in disguise of disappointment sent her down that path.
Replaced as a member of the Nigerian 4x100m relay squad at the trials for the 2014 African Youth Games, a resilient Amusan enquired about other events she could participate in. The organisers suggested the 100 meters hurdles and with the top two automatically selected for a place in the Nigerian team for those games, Amusan figured she had nothing to lose.
“If it is run and jump, I thought I’ll do it. I had played around with hurdles in practice but I had never competed before,” she had said about the change.
She surprised herself and went on to earn silver at the African Youth Games in Botswana in only her second hurdles race.
From then onward, Amusan, like a butterfly reaching a full circulation of metamorphosis, soared above the hurdles and shatter records, and accrued medals.
In 2018, she became the first Nigerian female hurdler to win gold at the Commonwealth Games. She also won gold at the 2018 African Athletics Championship and 2019 All African Games.
The “Almost” Girl Despite her dominance and consistency, Amusan hit the wrong side of luck in major championships between 2019 to 2021.
READ ALSO: 2022 World Athletics: Amusan wins gold, makes history for Nigeria
At the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Qatar, she finished fourth in the final of the women’s 100-meter hurdles with 12.49 seconds.
She also fell short in the final at the Tokyo Olympics when she dipped 12.60 seconds to place fourth in the race.
Amusan was apparently hurt after she was labelled the “almost girl” for all the near misses at the grand stages.
“I know a lot of people have tagged me the ‘almost’ girl. I’ve seen and heard a lot of comments,” she had said.
“It’s just sad knowing that I’m that girl that people tag ‘almost’ and that’s the main force that’s going to drive me next year. I don’t want to be the ‘almost’ girl. I want to be ‘that girl’, the girl that wins every competition.”
Faulty Timer
In 2021, at the Olympics trials of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) at the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, Amusan swooshed easily to the finish line in the women’s 100m hurdles — only to discover that the electronic timer at the stadium had failed to display the time at the end of the race, remaining at 0.00secs.
However, her hand timer recorded that she won the race by dipping 12.3 seconds, which would have erased Gloria Alozie African record of 12.44 seconds set in 1998.
Diamond League
Away from the disappointments of the months before, Amusan’s consistency and hard work paid off in September 2021.
She became the first Nigerian athlete ever to win a World Athletics Diamond League trophy as she placed first in the women’s 100 meters hurdles final.
Amusan clocked 12.42 seconds to break Alozie’s 23-year-old national record and become Africa’s fastest hurdler in the women’s category.
Setting and Breaking African Records
There was no stopping Amusan from there on as she continued to break and set a new African record thrice in a year.
On June 19, the Nigerian set a new African record in the women’s 100 meters hurdles as she dipped 12.41 seconds at the Diamond League meet in Paris.
On July 23, Amusan also set a new African record of 12.40 seconds when she won heat three in the women’s 100m hurdles.
She then reduced the time further in the semi-final to clinch the world record of 12.12 seconds
From sandy tracks of inter-house sports at Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School, Ijebu-Ode to the bouncy arena in Hayward Field in Oregon, an accidental hurdler has gone on to become Nigeria’s first-ever world record holder in athletics.
Amusan has also immortalised her name in the history of track and field events.
The Mexican Football Federation (FMF) has publicly declared its support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino, breaking ranks with the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) amid growing criticism of his leadership.
Mexico, one of the three co-hosts of the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside the United States and Canada, announced its position after CONCACAF called for a “comprehensive reckoning” of Infantino’s presidency following his controversial proposal to sell stakes in the FIFA World Cup to private investors.
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In a statement on Friday, the FMF expressed confidence in Infantino’s leadership, saying the FIFA president has continued to promote the development of football through stronger institutions.
“The FMF supports President Infantino’s leadership in continuing to promote the development of football through institutional strengthening,” the federation stated.
The Mexican federation also endorsed the position of South American football governing body CONMEBOL, insisting that any move to remove the FIFA president must be carried out through FIFA’s official electoral process involving all 211 member associations.
“The FMF will neither recognise nor approve any process convened outside of that institutional framework, and it joins the call made by President Infantino to collectively continue developing football for the benefit of the 211 member associations,” the statement added.
Mexico’s stance puts it at odds with CONCACAF, which criticised Infantino’s leadership style and described the abandoned investment proposal as evidence of poor governance.
According to CONCACAF, the proposal was “a symptom of leadership that has stopped putting football first,” adding that it reflected “a pattern of missteps and similar behaviour.”
While CONCACAF has voiced strong concerns, it stopped short of withdrawing confidence in Infantino. UEFA, however, has taken a tougher position, warning that European nations could still consider boycotting the 2026 FIFA World Cup unless assurances are given that similar investment proposals will not be revisited.
“Assurances have to be made that such attempts to disfigure the game in this way will never be made again,” UEFA said.
The English Football Association has also withdrawn its support for Infantino, with the football associations of Wales, Albania and Croatia similarly distancing themselves from the FIFA president.
Despite the mounting criticism from Europe, Infantino continues to enjoy strong backing from other regions, including the Confederation of African Football (CAF), which recently reaffirmed its unanimous support for his leadership.
Uganda’s football community has been plunged into mourning following the tragic death of SC Villa captain and Uganda international David Owori, who succumbed to injuries sustained in a violent ambush near his home in Kampala.
Owori, 27, was reportedly attacked on Tuesday night in the Makindye area as he approached his residence. According to eyewitnesses, a group of suspected robbers assaulted him with paving stones, stole his belongings and fled the scene.
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The footballer was initially taken to a nearby medical centre before being transferred to a private hospital in Kampala, where he later died from his injuries.
Confirming the tragic development on Thursday, SC Villa described Owori’s death as a devastating loss to the club and the country’s football family.
“We have lost more than a player – we have lost a leader, brother and friend,” the club said in a statement.
SC Villa spokesperson Asan Kasingye said the player was attacked close to his home.
“The player was ambushed by thugs as he approached his home, leaving him with life-threatening injuries before he was rushed to the medical facility,” Kasingye said.
Police have launched an investigation into the incident, with Kampala police spokesperson Rachael Kawala confirming that officers had processed the crime scene and were gathering evidence.
“The scene of the incident has been documented and processed to ensure that all relevant evidence is collected and preserved,” Kawala stated.
Popularly known by the nickname “Colgate,” Owori was one of Uganda’s most respected footballers. He captained SC Villa, one of the country’s most successful clubs, and also represented the Uganda national team, the Cranes.
The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) paid tribute to the late defender, describing him as a leader who inspired a generation of footballers.
“David was not just a footballer. He was both a leader and an inspiration to a generation,” FUFA said.
Owori returned to SC Villa in 2023 after a spell in Europe and played a crucial role in helping the club secure its 17th Uganda Premier League title in 2024, ending a 20-year wait for the championship.
His outstanding performances earned him a contract extension until 2027.
His death has sparked widespread outrage across Uganda, with supporters, teammates, football officials and political leaders demanding justice and calling for stronger action against violent crime in Kampala.
Team Nigeria delivered a remarkable display at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, producing a world record, a historic gold medal and a hard-fought bronze to underline the country’s growing dominance in athletics.
Leading the charge was para-athlete Goodness Nwachukwu, who successfully defended her women’s F42 discus throw title in spectacular fashion by setting a new world record of 39.66 metres with her final throw.
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The 27-year-old surpassed her previous world record by more than three metres to register her fourth career world record and add another Commonwealth gold medal to her impressive collection.
Wales’ Funmi Oduwaiye settled for silver with a throw of 38.52 metres, while Bree Cronin claimed bronze after recording 36.00 metres.
Reacting to her achievement, an emotional Nwachukwu said, “I feel like I am on top of the world. I feel so great. I feel so wow, I was like, ‘Ah, what?’ and I started shouting.”
She also expressed gratitude to Nigerians for their unwavering support, adding, “I love you all and I can’t wait to see you. Love you.”
Nigeria’s celebrations continued in the men’s shot put, where Chukwuebuka Enekwechi made history by becoming the first Nigerian to win Commonwealth Games gold in the event.
The African record holder secured victory with a throw of 21.07 metres, improving on the silver medal he won at the 2018 Commonwealth Games while erasing the disappointment of his fourth-place finish in Birmingham four years ago.
Defending champion Tom Walsh of New Zealand claimed silver with a throw of 21.03 metres, while England’s Scott Lincoln finished with bronze after throwing 20.99 metres.
Meanwhile, world record holder Tobi Amusan displayed determination in the women’s 100m hurdles, clocking 12.60 seconds to claim bronze and extend her Commonwealth Games medal streak to three consecutive editions.
Although she narrowly missed out on a third successive Commonwealth title, Amusan revealed after the race that she had been hampered by a knee injury sustained during Team Nigeria’s training camp in Aberdeen.
The outstanding performances by Nwachukwu, Enekwechi and Amusan capped another memorable day for Team Nigeria, as the athletes combined to deliver medals, history and a world record at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
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