Amusan Salvages Team Nigeria’s Campaign With Silver Medal In Tokyo

World grounds holder successful the 100m hurdles, Tobi Amusan, has salvaged Team Nigeria’s run astatine the ongoing 2025 World Athletics Championships successful Tokyo by clinching a metallic medal for the state successful the Women’s 100m hurdles last yesterday.

The Nigerian sprint prima finished successful 12.29 seconds, securing 2nd spot down Switzerland’s Ditaji Kambundji, who claimed golden with a clip of 12.24 seconds. Grace Stark of the United States finished 3rd with a clip of 12.34 seconds, earning the bronze medal.

Amusan’s silver-winning effort offers immoderate solace aft a challenging play since the World Championships successful 2022 successful Oregon. Having acceptable the satellite grounds of 12.12 seconds successful 2022, she has been a ascendant unit successful the hurdles implicit the past 3 years. Despite a valiant effort successful the closing stages, she was incapable to drawback Kambundji, who surged to the enactment with impeccable form.

The metallic medal is simply a infinitesimal of pridefulness and reflection for Amusan, who remains firmly among the world’s elite athletes and continues to marque past for Nigeria. The nationalist anthem whitethorn not beryllium heard earlier the championships conclude, arsenic different Nigerian athletes inactive person medal prospects astatine the event.

Pre-championship medal hopefuls specified arsenic Ese Brume, Chioma Onyekwere-Lyons, Obiageri Pamela Amaechi, and Samuel Ogazi were eliminated successful the preliminary stages of their events. Kanyinsola Ajayi finished sixth successful the men’s 100m final, portion Chukwuebuka Enekwechi placed 5th successful the men’s changeable enactment final, some extracurricular the podium spots.

The National Sports Commission (NSC) celebrated Amusan’s singular achievement, highlighting her consistency and warring tone arsenic an inspiration to millions. Hon. Bukola Olopade, Director General of the NSC, stated, “Tobi Amusan has made Nigeria arrogant erstwhile again. Winning metallic astatine the World Championships is nary tiny feat, and doing truthful with specified people showcases her world-class quality and resilience. She remains a awesome of hope, determination, and excellence for our nation. The full state stands gangly successful solemnisation of her achievement.”

Earlier successful the day, Amusan secured her spot successful the last with a commanding semifinal victory, clocking 12.36 seconds (-0.2), comfortably up of Nadine Visser of the Netherlands (12.45 seconds) and Pia Skrzyszowska of Poland (12.51 seconds). Her assured performance, the fastest of each semifinals, acceptable the signifier for her medal-winning tally successful the final.

Meanwhile, NCAA 400m hurdles champion Ezekiel Nathaniel precocious to the semifinals of the men’s 400m hurdles, finishing Heat 5 successful a clip of 48.37 seconds. He was followed by Caleb Dean of the U.S. successful 48.67 seconds, with Brazil’s Francisco Dos Reis Viana taking 3rd successful 48.69 seconds.

The 22-year-old Nathaniel, ranked 5th successful the satellite this year, controlled his contention effectively, securing the tenth-fastest clip crossed the 5 heats. It volition necessitate a miraculous effort for him to unafraid a podium decorativeness if helium survives the semifinals connected Tuesday.

Other qualifiers for the men’s 400m hurdles semifinals see Rai Benjamin, Matheus Lima, Tyri Donovan, Chris Robinson, Malik James-King, Wiseman Were Mukhobe, Emil Agyekum, Ismail Doudai Abakar, Bassem Hemeida, and Alison Dos Santos.

Three different African hurdlers who precocious to the semifinals are Wiseman Were Mukhobe of Kenya with a clip of 48.27 seconds, on with Botswana’s Victor Ntweng successful 48.54 seconds and Kemorena Tisang successful 48.72 seconds.

The 24 semifinalists volition beryllium vying for 8 spots successful the last from 3 races connected Tuesday.
In the men’s agelong jump, Charles Edward Godfred failed to suffice for the final, with his 3rd and last leap registering 7.79 metres, conscionable 0.17 metres shy of the past qualifying mark.