Amusan in confident mood after setting season lead

 

World record holder in women’s 100m hurdles, Tobi Amusan has fired a note of warning to her track foes following her imperious form this season, The PUNCH reports.

On Sunday, the 27-year-old set the world-leading time this year by running a blistering 12.40s (0.9) at the Jamaican Athletics Invitational in Kingston on Sunday.

The race was a recovery from her disqualification setback at the Shanghai/Suzhou Diamond League on April 27, where she was disqualified for a false start, although she ran under protest.

Elated by her win in Jamaica, the Diamond League winner in three consecutive editions believes she’s in great form as she faces her title defence and also seeks to reach the podium at the Paris 2024 Olympics, which will be held from July 26 to August 11.

This is the healthiest I’ve been. It’s a pain-free season compared to other years. I told myself I’m not getting a DQ today (on Sunday). I’m not the best of starters, but looking at how I executed today, it could have been better, but I am thankful for the win,” Amusan told World Athletics as relayed by Making of Champions.

She won the race ahead of Jamaican and world champion, Danielle Williams, who finished second in 12.46s.

For most of the race, Amusan was behind Williams and America’s Nia Ali but surged ahead in the closing stages, beating the previous world-leading time of 12.42s set by Tonea Marshall of the USA on April 20.

Amusan’s season has been defined by three moments this year, winning a third African Games title in Ghana in March and also setting the African 60m indoor record twice this year.

In January, she broke Glory Alozie’s mark of 7.82s set in 1999 by running 7.77s to win the Astana Indoor Meet in Kazakhstan before lowering it a month later to 7.75s to finish second behind Tia Jones at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston.

She has already appeared at two Diamond League meetings this year with no win yet.