Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan returned to the top of the podium on Sunday, winning the women’s 100m hurdles at the Grand Prix Brescia in Italy in another impressive display of resilience and consistency on the international athletics circuit.
The Nigerian sprint hurdler clocked 12.56 seconds to finish first at the Gabre Gabric Stadium in Brescia, overcoming a strong headwind of 1.7 metres per second to beat a quality field that included American Alaysha Johnson, Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent and former world record holder Kendra Harrison. Blueprint reports
Amusan finished ahead of Johnson, who recorded 12.62 seconds, while Nugent completed the podium in 12.75 seconds. Japan’s Hitomi Nakajima was fourth in 12.80 seconds, with Harrison finishing fifth in 12.94 seconds.
Amusan shines despite difficult conditions
The victory was particularly impressive because of the unfavourable wind conditions that confronted the athletes during the race.
A headwind of 1.7m/s made it more difficult for the hurdlers to generate speed and maintain rhythm between the barriers, but Amusan remained composed throughout the race to secure another victory.
Her 12.56-second winning time was well outside her world record of 12.12 seconds, but the conditions meant that the result was more significant for its competitive value than for its raw time.
The performance also underlined the Nigerian’s ability to remain competitive against some of the strongest hurdlers in the world, with Johnson, Nugent and Harrison all possessing impressive personal bests and international pedigrees.
The official results from World Athletics confirmed Amusan as the winner of the second final of the women’s 100m hurdles, with Johnson and Nugent following in second and third positions respectively.
Strong response after Zurich disappointment
Amusan’s victory in Brescia also comes just days after she surrendered her women’s 100m hurdles world record to American Masai Russell at the Zurich Diamond League.
Russell produced a stunning performance in Zurich to run 12.09 seconds, lowering Amusan’s 12.12-second world record which the Nigerian had set at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, United States.
Amusan finished second in that race in 12.23 seconds, a performance that nevertheless represented a strong season-best effort.
The loss of the world record ended a remarkable four-year reign for the Nigerian, who had become one of the biggest names in global sprint hurdling after producing one of the most extraordinary performances in the history of the event in 2022.
Rather than dwelling on the setback, however, Amusan responded almost immediately with another victory, demonstrating the mental strength that has characterised her career at the highest level.
Beats another strong field
The Grand Prix Brescia provided Amusan with another opportunity to test herself against elite opposition, and she took full advantage of it.
Johnson, who finished second, entered the competition with a season-best of 12.38 seconds and a personal best of 12.31 seconds. Nugent also arrived with a strong season, while Harrison remains one of the most accomplished athletes in the event.
The quality of the field made Amusan’s victory particularly significant, even though the race was affected by the strong headwind.
The Nigerian’s ability to finish ahead of the American and Jamaican challengers further underlined her position among the world’s leading sprint hurdlers.
Another victory in productive season
The Brescia triumph adds another victory to what has been a busy and productive season for Amusan.
The Nigerian has remained one of the most consistent performers on the international circuit, competing across several major meetings while maintaining her place among the leading contenders in the 100m hurdles.
According to the entry information for the Brescia meeting, Amusan arrived in Italy with a season-best of 12.28 seconds and a personal best of 12.12 seconds.
Her latest victory therefore provides another indication that she remains in strong competitive shape as the season approaches its final stages.
Brescia attracts athletics stars
Amusan was among a collection of world-class athletes who competed at the third edition of the Grand Prix Brescia, a Silver-level meeting on the World Athletics Continental Tour.
The event featured several prominent names across different events, underlining its growing importance on the international athletics calendar.
The organisers had promoted the meeting as an opportunity to bring major international stars to the Gabre Gabric facility in Brescia, with the competition taking place between the Diamond League meetings in Zurich and Brussels.
The women’s 100m hurdles was particularly competitive, with Amusan, Johnson, Nugent, Harrison and other international athletes included in the field.
Nigeria’s leading athletics star
Amusan remains one of Nigeria’s most successful active athletes and one of the country’s biggest names in world athletics.
Her breakthrough onto the global stage came with her extraordinary performance at the 2022 World Championships, where she set a then-world record of 12.12 seconds in the final and won the gold medal.
Although the record has now been broken, Amusan’s achievements have established her as a major figure in Nigerian and African athletics.
Her consistency at major competitions has also helped keep Nigeria prominently represented in international sprint hurdling.
The latest victory in Italy provides another positive chapter in her career and demonstrates that the loss of her world record has not diminished her competitive ambitions.
Amusan eyes stronger finish to season
With the Italian victory now secured, Amusan will be looking to build on the performance as she approaches the remaining major competitions on the athletics calendar.
Her immediate priority will be maintaining her fitness, sharpening her technique and producing faster times when conditions are more favourable.
The 12.56 seconds recorded in Brescia does not tell the full story of her performance because of the strong headwind, and Amusan will likely have opportunities to improve significantly on the mark before the end of the season.
For Nigeria, her return to the top of the podium is another welcome development after a period of intense international attention surrounding the world record change.
Amusan has shown once again that while records may change hands, her status as one of the world’s elite sprint hurdlers remains firmly intact.
Her victory in Brescia means the Nigerian leaves Italy with another international title and renewed momentum as she continues her pursuit of more honours on the global athletics stage.
