Former world athletics champion and Nigerian female sportswoman, Tobi Amusan, has won the country first medal in 2025 World Championships after coming second in the final of the 100-meter hurdles in Tokyo, Japan.
Amusan, who clocked 12.29sec behind Switzerland’s young athlete, Ditaji Kambundji, who clocked a national record of 12.24sec to win a shock gold, had a slow pace before picking up seconds later
The Nigerian sportswoman got the second position after edging American athlete, Grace Stark, who claimed bronze in 12.34sec, while Olympic champion Masai Russell finished fourth with 12.44sec.
Amusan’s second position on Monday, came three years after claiming the title in 2022 in Eugene, where she clocked her world record of 12.12.
After the race, she disclosed that her target was to win a second straight gold medal at this year’s edition of the World Athletics Championship, as she did in 2022, Amusan conceded that she has to accept her silver medal in good fate.
The 28-year-old Amusan, who disclosed that she decided to get a new low afro hair style to motivate her for the race, gave all glory to God for making her silver medal possible, especially as she recalled her inability to shine at the Olympic Games of 2021 in Tokyo and she returned home empty handed back then.
She eulogised: “It’s all God. I remember in ’21, I came here and I placed fourth. The moment I heard this year’s championship was going to be here, I had a few fears. I had to snap out of it, and I told myself that I’m not leaving here without a gold medal.I wanted gold, but I believe this silver is from God.”
The graduate of Texas University in El Paso, USA, who grew up in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, further noted that her quest for a second straight World Athletics gold medal was not an easy ride, which made her give more thanks to God, especially as the opposition against her appeared to be tougher this year than was initially expected.
She added, “It’s been God, because the journey has been rough. It’s been extremely rough. I’ve taken more halves than wins, but I’m just thankful that I have a great support system.
“My coach, my family, my mentors, my loved ones, my fans … o God … they are just too much. I’m just out here doing the training and competing. This is for everyone.”
Amusan went on to dedicate the medal to Nigerians who supported her one way or the other, then emphasised that all the encouragement she got and the hard work she put in were backed by mercy from God.
“This is for everyone who supported me throughout. I feel really proud when I look at the kind of line-up we had in the women’s hurdles. It was anyone’s race, but I placed second.
“A day before the race, I just said to myself, ‘It’s not for the swift, but it’s of God who showeth mercy.’ I kept asking for mercy all day because I worked really hard.
“I felt that I deserved this, and I’m just thankful that I didn’t leave here again with no medal. I knew what was coming. I wanted gold, but I’ll take this silver medal. It could have been better, but we’ll take it like this,” Amusan philosophised.
