World record holder Tobi Amusan has booked her spot in the women’s 100m hurdles final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo after storming to victory in her semifinal heat on Monday.
The Nigerian star powered home in 12.36 seconds (-0.2) to finish ahead of the Netherlands’ Nadine Visser, who came second in 12.45s, while Poland’s Pia Skrzyszowska placed third in 12.51s.
The win secured Amusan’s fourth consecutive appearance in a World Championships final and underlined her determination to reclaim the global crown she lost in Budapest two years ago.
Drawn in lane four of a loaded semifinal, Amusan faced Visser, who set a personal best of 12.28 in Poland last month, Skrzyszowska with a 12.51 season’s best, and the USA’s Alaysha Johnson, who has run 12.32 this year.
But the 28-year-old Nigerian was unruffled, exploding out of the blocks before executing a flawless race to secure her place in Tuesday’s final.
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Amusan has long been the standard-bearer for African hurdling.
She made history in 2022 when she became the first Nigerian and the first African to win the 100m hurdles world title, running a wind-aided 12.06 in Oregon after setting the still-standing world record of 12.12 in the semifinals.
Now, with momentum on her side in Tokyo, Amusan will line up in the final looking to add a second world title to her glittering résumé and further cement her place among the greats of the sport.