World record holder in the 100m hurdles, Tobi Amusan, has salvaged Team Nigeria’s campaign at the ongoing 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo by clinching a silver medal for the country in the Women’s 100m hurdles final yesterday.
The Nigerian sprint star finished in 12.29 seconds, securing second place behind Switzerland’s Ditaji Kambundji, who claimed gold with a time of 12.24 seconds. Grace Stark of the United States finished third with a time of 12.34 seconds, earning the bronze medal.
Amusan’s silver-winning effort offers some solace after a challenging period since the World Championships in 2022 in Oregon. Having set the world record of 12.12 seconds in 2022, she has been a dominant force in the hurdles over the past three years. Despite a valiant effort in the closing stages, she was unable to catch Kambundji, who surged to the line with impeccable form.
The silver medal is a moment of pride and reflection for Amusan, who remains firmly among the world’s elite athletes and continues to make history for Nigeria. The national anthem may not be heard before the championships conclude, as other Nigerian athletes still have medal prospects at the event.
Pre-championship medal hopefuls such as Ese Brume, Chioma Onyekwere-Lyons, Obiageri Pamela Amaechi, and Samuel Ogazi were eliminated in the preliminary stages of their events. Kanyinsola Ajayi finished sixth in the men’s 100m final, while Chukwuebuka Enekwechi placed fifth in the men’s shot put final, both outside the podium spots.
The National Sports Commission (NSC) celebrated Amusan’s remarkable achievement, highlighting her consistency and fighting spirit as an inspiration to millions. Hon. Bukola Olopade, Director General of the NSC, stated, “Tobi Amusan has made Nigeria proud once again. Winning silver at the World Championships is no small feat, and doing so with such class showcases her world-class ability and resilience. She remains a symbol of hope, determination, and excellence for our nation. The entire country stands tall in celebration of her achievement.”
Earlier in the day, Amusan secured her spot in the final with a commanding semifinal victory, clocking 12.36 seconds (-0.2), comfortably ahead of Nadine Visser of the Netherlands (12.45 seconds) and Pia Skrzyszowska of Poland (12.51 seconds). Her confident performance, the fastest of all semifinals, set the stage for her medal-winning run in the final.
Meanwhile, NCAA 400m hurdles champion Ezekiel Nathaniel advanced to the semifinals of the men’s 400m hurdles, finishing Heat 5 in a time of 48.37 seconds. He was followed by Caleb Dean of the U.S. in 48.67 seconds, with Brazil’s Francisco Dos Reis Viana taking third in 48.69 seconds.
The 22-year-old Nathaniel, ranked fifth in the world this year, controlled his race effectively, securing the tenth-fastest time across the five heats. It will require a miraculous effort for him to secure a podium finish if he survives the semifinals on Tuesday.
Other qualifiers for the men’s 400m hurdles semifinals include Rai Benjamin, Matheus Lima, Tyri Donovan, Chris Robinson, Malik James-King, Wiseman Were Mukhobe, Emil Agyekum, Ismail Doudai Abakar, Bassem Hemeida, and Alison Dos Santos.
Three other African hurdlers who advanced to the semifinals are Wiseman Were Mukhobe of Kenya with a time of 48.27 seconds, along with Botswana’s Victor Ntweng in 48.54 seconds and Kemorena Tisang in 48.72 seconds.
The 24 semifinalists will be vying for eight spots in the final from three races on Tuesday.
In the men’s long jump, Charles Edward Godfred failed to qualify for the final, with his third and final jump registering 7.79 metres, just 0.17 metres shy of the last qualifying mark.
