Tobi Amusan wins big, sets new African 60m hurdles record

Tobi Amusan has set a new African women’s 60-meter hurdles indoor record with a time of 7.77 seconds.

The race took place on Saturday at the Astana Indoor Meet in Kazakhstan.

Amusan broke fellow Nigerian Gloria Alozie’s long-standing continental record of 7.82 seconds, set in 1999.

The 26-year-old dominated the 60-meter hurdles final, defeating American Nia Ali and Ireland’s Sarah Lavin.

It was Nigeria’s first race of the 2023 sports season, following Amusan’s tumultuous finish last year.

She was provisionally suspended prior to the World Championships due to missed drug tests, but was eventually cleared.

The Nigerian then failed to defend her 100-meter hurdles world title, placing sixth in Budapest.

She did, however, end the year on a high note, capturing her third Diamond League title in a row.

The new 60-meter hurdles record solidifies Amusan’s status as a trailblazer for African female sprint hurdlers.

In 2022, she became the first Nigerian to win the World Athletics Championship gold medal.

In addition to winning, she broke the world record for women’s 100-meter hurdles.