Nigerian sprinter Tobi Amusan achieved a remarkable feat at the Astana Indoor Meet in Kazakhstan on Saturday, setting a new African women’s 60-metre hurdles indoor record with an impressive time of 7.77 seconds.
This performance not only secured her victory in the 60m hurdles final but also shattered the longstanding continental mark of 7.82 seconds held by fellow Nigerian Gloria Alozie since 1999.
At 26 years old, Amusan’s triumph marked Nigeria’s opening race of the 2023 athletic season, showcasing her resilience after facing challenges in the previous year.
Despite a provisional suspension before the World Championships for missed drug tests, she was later cleared.
Although she fell short in defending her 100m hurdles world title in Budapest, finishing sixth, Amusan concluded the year on a high note by clinching her third consecutive Diamond League trophy.
This new 60m hurdles record not only highlights Amusan’s individual achievements but also solidifies her role as a trailblazer for African female sprint hurdlers.
In 2022, she made history as the first Nigerian to win a gold medal at the World Athletics Championship, breaking the women’s 100m hurdles world record on her way to that monumental triumph.
