By Maxwell Kumoye
Nigeria’s former world record holder Tobi Amusan underlined her enduring class on the global stage, storming to silver in the women’s 100m hurdles at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest on Friday.
Amusan clocked an impressive 12.34 seconds to finish second behind American Olympic champion Masai Russell, who capped her unbeaten season with victory in 12.22 seconds.
Russell, who shattered Amusan’s world record with a stunning 12.09 seconds in Zurich in August, entered the Budapest showdown as the overwhelming favourite after dominating the event throughout the season.
But Amusan once again proved she remains one of the world’s elite hurdlers, producing a strong performance to secure second place, with the Nigerian finishing ahead of Dutch star Nadine Visser, who clocked 12.39 seconds.
The result added another major global podium finish to Amusan’s remarkable career, which includes her historic world record of 12.12 seconds set in 2022 and three Diamond League 100m hurdles titles.
For Russell, the Budapest triumph brought a spectacular close to a season in which she combined Olympic pedigree with record-breaking form.
But the spotlight also belonged to Amusan, whose silver medal further demonstrated her ability to remain a major force in the event even after surrendering the world record.
