Clash of Champions: It’s World Champion, Amusan Vs Olympic Champion, Camacho-Quinn In Lausanne!
Puerto Rican Leads Nigerian 7-5 In Head-To-Head Meetings
Friday’s Athletissima Diamond League meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland has been dubbed the clash of champions especially in the women’s 100m hurdles where Nigeria’s Tobiloba Amusan, the reigning world champion will confront Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, the reigning Olympic champion.
Amusan will be back in action after her world record and world title win in Oregon and her Commonwealth victory in Birmingham.
The 25-year-old, who ran 12.12s in the World Championships semifinals, will be hoping for another strong run as she works towards a defence of her Diamond League title in Zurich.
But with a field as strong as the one we have in Lausanne, success is not a foregone conclusion, as she takes on Puerto Rico’s Olympic champion Camacho-Quinn, world silver medallist Britany Anderson and former world record-holder Kendra Harrison, plus home star Ditaji Kambundji.
It’s the clash between Amusan and Camacho-Quinn that has grabbed all the headlines as the duo renews a rivalry that dates back to their collegiate days in the United States of America.
The Puerto Rican has beaten the Nigerian seven times in their 12 major encounters and it began in 2016 at the NCAA Final where she ran 12.54s to win the 100m hurdles.
Amusan was second in the competition, running a then new 12.79 seconds personal best.
The two met again at the Rio Olympics in 2016 with the Puerto Rican winning heat five of the first round in 12.70 seconds. Amusan was fifth in the race (12.99s).
The Nigerian however had the upper hand by default in the semifinals, running 12.91 seconds to place third while Camacho-Quinn was disqualified.
The NCAA Finals in 2017 provided the stage again for the two to meet and the Nigerian triumphed this time around by the narrowest of margins, winning the final in 12.57 seconds ahead of the Puerto Rican who ran 12.58 seconds to place second.
Camacho-Quinn won five of their next seven encounters including the Olympic final in Tokyo before they clashed again for the 12th time at the final of the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon where Amusan ran a wind-aided 12.06 seconds to emerge the World 100m hurdles champion.
Will Camacho-Quinn stop the incredible momentum the Nigerian has built which inspired her to smash the Commonwealth Games 100m hurdles record in Birmingham?
The track at the beautiful Stade Olympique de la Pontaise will be on fire this Friday.