Nigeria’s sprint queen Tobi Amusan made a commanding start to her campaign at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Sunday, cruising into the women’s 100-metre hurdles semifinals.
The world record holder, running in the last of six heats, exploded out of the blocks and maintained her trademark rhythm through the finish, clocking 12.53 seconds.
She finished ahead of Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas (12.69s) and Italy’s Elena Carraro (12.86s), with all three progressing to the next round.
Amusan’s time ranked fifth-fastest overall on the day, with Jamaica’s Danielle Williams leading the field after posting 12.40s in heat two. Other standout performers included Grace Stark of the United States (12.46s), Nadine Visser of the Netherlands (12.48s), Pia Skrzyszowska of Poland (12.51s), and Masai Russell of the U.S., who matched Amusan’s 12.53s in heat one.
The Nigerian star has been in sharp form this season, running 12.24s in Paris in May and finishing second with 12.38s in Oregon in July. She now sets her sights on reclaiming the world title she lost in 2023, after making history in Oregon in 2022 as the first Nigerian to win a world outdoor title. That year, she stormed to a world record of 12.12s in the semifinals before winning gold in the final.
Meanwhile, in the women’s hammer throw, Nigeria’s Oyesade Olatoye failed to advance from the preliminary stage. She ended her campaign with a best mark of 68.82 metres in Group A of the qualification rounds, finishing 10th in her group and 21st overall.
Olatoye joins six other Nigerian athletes who have exited the competition: discus throwers Chioma Onyekwere-Lyons and Obiageri Pamela Amaechi, long jumpers Ese Brume and Prestina Ochonogor, sprinter Rosemary Chukwuma, and shot putter Chukwuebuka Enekwechi.
Enekwechi, however, delivered a standout performance by reaching his third final in four appearances. He finished fifth — his best result yet — surpassing his eighth-place finish on debut in 2019.