The golden girl of Nigerian athletics Tobi Amusan looks likely to change her training base in Texas and move to Alabama to join her Jamaican coach, Lacena Golding-Clarke who has returned to her Alma mater, Auburn University as an assistant coach for women’s sprints and hurdles.
Golding-Clarke graduated in 1999 from Auburn. As a Tiger, she claimed a silver in the long jump at the 1998 NCAA Championships. She was a four-time SEC Champion and holds the school record in the women’s 55m hurdles.
The Jamaican, 47, began her coaching career at the Auburn University where she served as a volunteer coach for seven years (1999-2006). She assisted the head coach in hurdles and multi events as she helped guide the women’s team to its first NCAA title in 2006.
She then moved to University of Austin before switching to the University of Texas in El Paso (UTEP) where she mentored Amusan to win the 2017 NCAA outdoor title in the 100m hurdles, breaking her own school record with a time of 12.57s.
The three-time Olympian and 2002 Commonwealth Games champion in the high hurdles then mentored Amusan to two African Games titles plus the Games record (12.68s), two African Championships titles and two Diamond League final titles.
Golding-Clarke also trained the Nigerian to fourth place at the delayed 2020 Olympics in Japan and two Commonwealth Games individual titles plus the Games record (12.30s).
The Jamaican was also in charge when Amusan made history in Oregon, USA as the first Nigerian to win a world outdoor title and the first to set a world record (12.12s).
If Amusan decides to shift base to Auburn, she will not be the only Nigerian around as reigning Nigeria’s fastest man, Favour Ashe has also become a Tiger and will be coached by former world 100m record holder, Leroy Burell who is the head coach at the school.
