Amusan chases double gold in historic bid at Nigerian Championships

World 100m hurdles record holder set to electrify Yaba with 100m + 100m hurdles showdown

All eyes are on Tobi Amusan, the reigning world record holder in the 100m hurdles, as she prepares to light up the track on the final day of the 2025 Nigerian Track and Field Championships at the Yabatech Sports Ground in Yaba, Lagos.

The 28-year-old sprint sensation is chasing a feat no Nigerian has ever achieved—winning both the 100m and 100m hurdles titles at the same national championships.

Amusan’s career is a masterclass in breaking barriers:

2022: First Nigerian to win a World Outdoor Championships gold medal and set a world record (12.12s).

2022: First Nigerian track and field star to successfully defend a Commonwealth Games title, winning in a record 12.30s.

2021: First and only Nigerian to win a Diamond League trophy in World Athletics’ elite one-day series.

She simultaneously holds the Nigerian, African, African Games, Commonwealth Games, World Championships, and World record titles—a clean sweep unmatched in Nigerian athletics.

Amusan clocked 11.28s in the 100m repechage round on Saturday, the fastest qualifying time for Sunday’s final, ahead of Olayinka Olajide (11.37s).

The petite sprint hurdler is also gunning for her fifth consecutive 100m hurdles title—a record-extending streak that legends Maria Usifo and Angela Atede, who each won three straight titles, futilely dreamt of achieving.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s men’s 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams face a do-or-die moment as they attempt to qualify for the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo:

The 4x100m team, led by Israel Okon (new national champion, 10.04s) and Kanyinsola Ajayi (fastest Nigerian this year, 9.92s), must beat 37.87s—the time currently holding the last qualifying spot. That will mean surpassing the 37.94 Nigeria record set at the semifinal stage at the World Championships in 1997 in Athens, Greece.

The 4x400m team, featuring NCAA stars Samuel Ogazi and Ezekiel Nathaniel, must break the 3-minute barrier, a feat Nigeria hasn’t achieved since 2004. They need to beat Zambia’s 2:59.16 to secure the final slot.

Amusan prepares for Tokyo, she and other elite female athletes will be subject to mandatory genetic gender testing under new World Athletics regulations starting September 1, 2025.

The test screens for the SRY gene to confirm biological sex, sparking global debate over privacy and fairness in women’s sports.

 

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