Reigning Nigeria, Africa and Commonwealth Games 100m hurdles champion Tobi Amusan is among eight world class sprint hurdlers confirmed for the opening leg of the Wanda Diamond League meeting at the Qatar SC Stadium in Doha on Friday.
The 24 year who made history last year as the first Nigerian to win a Diamond League discipline in the Diamond League era will race alongside such world class athletes as reigning world record holder (12.20s) and Tokyo Olympics silver medal winner, Kendra Harrison of the USA and Jamaica’s Megan Tapper, bronze medal winner also at the Tokyo Olympics.
Others include another Jamaican, Britany Anderson; Bahamas’ Devynne Charlton, French girl Cyréna Samba-Mayela as well as American duo of Gabriele Cunningham and Payton Chadwick.
Amusan, who will be running from lane 2 will be hoping for a strong start which will fetch her the eight points on offer for a win and $10,000 in prize money as she begins the process of qualifying for the event’s final at the Letzigrund stadium in Zurich on September 8, 2022.
This will be Amusan’s second trip to Doha and 13th appearance in the top tier of World Athletics’ one-day meeting competitions.
The Nigerian placed second in Doha in May 2019, running 12.73s behind Jamaica’s Williams Danielle (12.66s).
She made her Diamond League debut at the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea held at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome in May 2018 and would go on to compete in three more meetings that year.
Last year, the petite Nigerian also set a new 12.42 African record in the event on her way to the historic feat at the Weltklasse in Zurich.
She has a personal season’s best of 12.61s which she achieved in placing fourth at the Mount SAC Relays at the Hilmer Lodge Stadium, Walnut, California, USA last month and she is going to Doha as the seventh fastest woman in the world so far this year and second fastest in the field behind Harrison whose 12.56s was also achieved at the meeting in California.
Amusan was not only crowned the 2021 Diamond League Champion and awarded a Diamond Trophy last year; she also won $30,000 in prize money as well as a wild card for this year’s World Athletics Championships in Oregon, USA.
