Amusan: Golding-Clarke Trained Me To Be A World Champion and World Record Holder

Reigning World record holder in the 100m hurdles, Tobi Amusan says her Jamaican coach, Lacena Golding-Clarke deserves credit for all her accomplishments on

the track.

The Nigerian stated this in a post she authored on her Instagram page after the Jamaican who won the high hurdles gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games faced

unwarranted critique, being labeled as ‘bogus’ after an interview she granted about coaching Amusan.

Golding-Clarke has never shied away from the fact that Amusan is her biggest succees story and even told A World Athletics Gender leadership podcast how she

felt Amusan was capable of breaking the 12.20 World record set by Kendra Harrison ion 2016.

‘In 2019, before we travelled to Doha (for the World Championships), I sort of had an inclination that she may come close, but that she might run in the

12.2s.

‘In 2020, during the pandemic, we trained so hard. I had a feeling then that she could, but I did not expect that the world record could be broken by such a

time.

‘I was thinking she could go 12.19 or 12.18, but I am just happy that I was a part of it. Hoping for a world record every year, but this year it all

just happened at once,’ she said in the podcast.

Amusan has been under the watchful eye of Golding-Clarke since 2016 and her days at the University of Texas at El Paso, where Golding-Clarke helped to take

her from a 13.11 athlete to a 12.12 athlete and to the top of the NCAA as champions in 2017.

In the Instagram post, Amusan shared a conversation between herself and Golding-Clarke, where the coach recounted being called ‘bogus’ by a Nigerian

caller during a Jamaican radio interview.

Amusan’s response was one of disbelief and support, questioning the critic’s judgment and affirming Golding-Clarke’s significant role in her athletic

achievements.

‘The someone is mad!! Why would he say that?? Is he blind, deaf or just rose from the dead?? I’m so sorry mam. You are my coach, the WR holder’s

coach,’Amusan wrote.

Tobi Amusan also took the opportunity to publicly praise her coach. She described Golding-Clarke as the embodiment of ‘bluntness and realness’ and

acknowledged the vital qualities she has learned from her, including strength, determination, self-discipline, and respect.

This heartfelt tribute underlines the strong bond and mutual respect in their coach-athlete relationship.

‘Best in bluntness and realness; from you, ma, I have learned strength, determination, self-discipline, and respect, among many others. Mrs. Clarke, I can’t

thank you enough for your dedication to helping me pursue my goals and for all of your inspiring lessons,’ she wrote.