Tobi Amusan has achieved a new African women’s indoor record in the 60-meter hurdles, clocking an impressive 7.77 seconds at the Astana Indoor Meet in Kazakhstan.
The 26-year-old surpassed the previous record of 7.82 seconds set by Gloria Alozie in Madrid, Spain, in 1999.
Amusan secured the top spot in the event’s final, outpacing Nia Ali of the US and Ireland’s Sarah Lavin, who claimed second and third places, respectively.
This remarkable performance marks Nigeria’s inaugural race of the current athletics season, following the mixed conclusion of Amusan’s 2023 campaign.
Amidst controversy and a provisional suspension by the Athletics Integrity Unity (AIU), accusing her of “missing three tests in 12 months” in the lead-up to the 2023 World Athletics Championships, Amusan faced uncertainty regarding her participation until being cleared just three days before the competition.
Although she fell short of defending her world title in Budapest, finishing sixth in the final, Amusan rebounded by clinching her third consecutive Diamond League trophy.
Having broken the world 100-meter hurdles record in 2022, Amusan now sets her sights on securing her first Olympic medal as she prepares for the upcoming games in Paris scheduled for June.
