Dylan Bettencourt
Nigerian hurdles runner Tobi Amusan broke the world record not once, but twice on her way to winning Nigeria’s first ever gold medal at the World Athletics Championships.
Amusan took to the track on Sunday morning in Oregon, United States knowing she was the new world record holder in the 100m hurdles event.
But that was not enough for the 25-year-old who broke the record again, crossing the line in 12.06 seconds obliterating the record set in 2016 by Keni Harrison who had set a time of 12.20 seconds.
Her winning time in the second run will not be recognised as a world record however, due to a strong following wind of 2.5 metres per second.
She still remains the world record holder after breaking the record in the semi-final heat with a time of 12.12 seconds.
Despite the record, Amusan made history by winning Nigeria’s first ever gold medal at the event.
“Honestly, I believe in my abilities but I was not expecting a world record at these championships,” Amusan said after her victory in the final.
“The goal is always just to execute well and get the win. So the world record is a bonus. I knew I had it in me but I could not believe it when I saw it on the screen after the semis,” she said.
“Before the final, I just tried to stay calm and to do my best. I took a deep breath knowing that I have a goal to accomplish and it worked pretty well. I knew it was very fast but not this fast.”
Image source: @WorldAthletics
