By Milcah Tanimu

Reigning 100-meter women’s hurdles champion, Tobi Amusan, is set to defend her title at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary today, August 24. Despite a challenging year marked by doping allegations and a subsequent ban, Amusan’s resilience has propelled her to the finals.

Following a strong start to the year with victories in hurdles on the global stage and in Nigeria, Amusan faced adversity when she was hit with doping accusations in July. Luckily, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) cleared her just before the commencement of the championship, enabling her participation.

During the semi-finals on August 23, Amusan showcased her determination by outperforming Jamaican Ackera Nugent and securing the top position with a remarkable time of 12.56 seconds.

With her semifinal performance, the 26-year-old Nigerian hurdler clinched the eighth-best qualifying time, positioning her as a contender to become the first African women’s athlete to achieve consecutive Gold medals in the hurdles event.

In the previous 2022 championship edition in Oregon, USA, Amusan made history by setting a world record with a time of 12.12 seconds in the final. This achievement marked her as the first Nigerian to claim the world title, achieving a wind-aided time of 12.06 seconds.

Scheduled for 7:22 p.m. WAT today, Amusan’s determination will be put to the test as she defends her gold medal and seeks to surpass her own record. The competition will include prominent athletes such as American former world record holder Kendra Harrison and Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, who emerged victorious in their respective semi-finals with times of 12.33 seconds and 12.41 seconds.