Amusan Out of Lausanne Diamond League Despite Initial Confirmation

Nigeria’s world 100m hurdles record holder Tobi Amusan has is out of the Lausanne Diamond League, the 13th leg of the 2026 Wanda Diamond League series, despite initially being confirmed for the meeting.

Sportsnow.com.ng could not immediately confirm the reason for Amusan’s absence, with the Nigerian’s name missing from the final start list for Friday’s women’s 100m hurdles.

The 2022 world champion has, however, secured her place in next month’s Diamond League Final in Brussels, Belgium.

Amusan’s absence means reigning Olympic champion Masai Russell will be the cynosure of all eyes in Lausanne as the American gets another opportunity to attack the Nigerian’s 12.12 seconds world record.

Russell came agonisingly close to breaking the mark earlier this season in China, where she clocked 12.14 seconds, just two hundredths of a second outside Amusan’s world record.

Russell will face a strong field that includes reigning world champion Ditaji Kambundji of Switzerland and reigning European champion Nadine Visser of the Netherlands.

Jamaica’s Demisha Roswell, Americans Alia Armstrong and Alaysha Johnson, Poland’s Pia Skrzyszowska and the rest of the field will also be looking to challenge for victory in what promises to be a highly competitive race.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s other representative at the meeting, Favour Ofili, will run from lane four in the women’s 200m later on Friday evening. The 23-year-old is chasing her first legal sub-22-second performance of the season after running a wind-assisted 21.74 seconds last month.

Ofili has a lifetime best of 21.96 seconds and has legally run 22.15 seconds this season. She will be hoping to break the 22-second barrier in Lausanne as she continues her preparations for the World Athletics Ultimate Championships next month.