Tobi Amusan, the 100m hurdles record holder, has started her 2024 season with an African record in the women’s 60m hurdles.
Competing at the World Athletics Indoor Tour in Astana Kazakhstan recently, the world outdoor record holder at 12.12secs powered home to clear memories of a disappointing 2023 season.
Recall that the 26-year-old was provisionally suspended before the World Athletics Championships for missed drug tests. Later, she was cleared of doping volations with the provisional suspension on her lifted before the competition.
In 2023, she was dethroned by Jamaica’s Danielle Williams after she finished sixth in the star-studded Championships final in Budapest, Hungary. Despite that, she still finished 2023 on a high by winning her third consecutive Diamond League trophy.
In Astana, completed the race in 7.77 seconds to set a new African record, erasing Glory Alozie’s 7.82 seconds set in 1999.
In the event, the world record is held by Swedish Sussan Kuller, a 7.68secs run set in 2008.
Amusan, who aims to add the Olympics title to her collection of medals with the win in Astana, gave a warning to her likely rivals in Paris 2024. She earlier won heat 2 with 7.91secs and she ended the day with 7.77secs to become champion.
