Amusan tipped for Oregon return in 2023 for Diamond League Final

Nigeria’s Tobiloba Amusan will be hoping to return to the Hayward Field in Oregon, USA next year for the 2023 Diamond League Final.

The 25 year old Nigerian made history at the stadium in July when she became the first Nigerian, man or woman to be crowned a world outdoor champion and the first to set a world record.

Amusan ran a then new 12.40 seconds African record to win her opening round heat before scorching to an incredible 12.12 seconds finish in the semifinals to break 12 20 seconds World record set by USA’s Kendra Harisson in 2016.

In the final, the petite Nigerian proved her mind-blowing run in the semifinals was not by happenstance as she stormed home first in a wind-aided 12.06 seconds to win the 100m hurdles gold to become the first Nigerian gold medallist in the history of the championships.

It was also the arena where she won the NCAA 100m hurdles title in 2017, running a then 12.57 seconds personal best to beat Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, the Puerto Rican who was later crowned Olympic champion four years later in Tokyo, Japan..

Hayward Field has been known for decades as the landmark athletics stadium in the United States and will host the 2023 Diamond League final, making it the first venue outside of Europe to host the World Athletics‘ showpiece event.

The Nigerian will now be hoping to qualify for the 2003 Diamond League Final and get the chance to defend her 100m hurdles crown to make it a hat-trick of wins.

If she makes it to the final and wins, she will also become the first Nigerian in the Diamond League era to win at the arena.

She was second at the end of May in her second appearance in the 2022 Diamond League series, running 12.58 seconds behind Camacho-Quinn (12.45 seconds).

The Diamond League final is the climax of the 14-meeting global series and has traditionally been held in either Zurich or Brussels.