Nigeria’s Tobiloba Amusan has been named among three hurdlers who made history in the Wanda Diamond League meetings in 2022. The other two are Dutch star Femke Bol and Brazil’s Alison Dos Santos.
In the second part of a “Best of 2022” series on the Diamond League website, Amusan was named for rewriting the African history in the event and of course her incredible title defence in Zurich.
The website wrote thus about Amusan:
‘Tobi Amusan may not have picked up the most wins on the Wanda Diamond League circuit in the women’s 100m hurdles this year – that was Puerto Rico’s Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, with an astonishing six wins – but the Nigerian delivered in style and at just the right moments when she did deliver.
‘In Zurich at the end of the season, she posted a track-scorching 12.29 to successfully defend her Diamond Trophy and once again frustrate Camacho-Quinn in the battle for a major title. But it was her first win of the season, in Paris, which really caught the imagination.
‘Amusan’s 12.41 was, at the time, an African record and a timely reminder that as reigning Diamond League champion, she was a force to be reckoned with going into the World Championships. Once in Oregon, she made history again, clocking 12.12 to break Kendra Harrison’s world record of 12.20, set at the London Diamond League in 2016.’
Meanwhile Amusan will start her bid for a second Diamond League title defence in May 2023 following the release of the Diamond League disciplines for next year.
The first 100m hurdles of the 15-leg series will hold in Doha, Qatar on May 5. Incidentally, the Nigerian started her 2022 bid in Doha, running a wind-aided 12.44 (+3.8) to come second behind Kendra Harrison (12.43).
There will be six more stops (Lausanne 30 June, Stockholm 2 July, Sileasia 16 July, Monaco 21 July, Shenzhen 3 August, and Zurich 31 August) before the final in Eugene, Oregon, USA.