Amusan’s World 100m hurdles title defence begins on an impressive

Tobi Amusan showed no sign of rustiness as she stormed to a 12.48 finish to win her first round heat and qualify for her fourth straight World Athletics Championships 100m hurdles semifinal Tuesday evening at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest, Hungary.

The Nigerian, whose participation in the championships was under a cloud of uncertainty following a whereabouts failures charge by the Athletics Integrity Unit last month, seemed to have recover from the emotional trauma she have gone through to post the scond qualifying time in the five first round heats.

Interestingly, the Nigerian has now opened her first round heat with a sub-12.50 performance since 2019 in Doha, Qatar at the 17th edition of the championships.

She ran 12.48 in 2019, an African record setting 12.40 last year in Oregon and now 12.48 in Budapest.

Amusan will now be seeking to make her third straight final when the semifinal takes place on Wednesday evening, starting from 7.45pm.

Last year the reigning African and Commonwealth Games champion scorched to a 12.12 world record run in the semifinal before storming home first in the final to become the first Nigerian to win a World outdoor title.

She will be hoping lightning can strike twice and, yet again, successfully defend a title after her success at the Nigerian and African Championships as well as at the Commonwealth Games and the Diamond League last year.