Tobiloba “Tobi” Amusan of Nigeria, who holds the world record in the 100-meter hurdles, gave her nation’s chances of winning a medal at the current World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, a major boost on Tuesday by advancing without incident through the qualification rounds and showcasing her prowess on the track.
Amusan captivated the attention of spectators at the National Athletics Stadium in Budapest when she competed for the first time following approval from a tribunal established by World Athletics to assess her ban by the Athletes Integrity Unit (AIU).
Amusan, who was born in Ogun State, did not dissapoint the crowd by winning the race in 12.48 seconds faster than the other runners and earning a place in the semifinals.
Amusan began her attempt to defend her World title in the fifth and final heat of the first round while lined up in lane four, outside of Jamaica’s Megan Tapper, the Olympic bronze medalist.
The current champion of the Diamond League, Commonwealth, Africa, and Nigeria is vying to earn one of the four semifinal spots that are guaranteed to be filled by automatic qualifiers.
In order to successfully defend each of her five titles, Amusan must first win her current crown.
The United States sent a renowned sports psychologist to Team Nigeria’s camp in Budapest on Tuesday morning, according to The Guardian, to work with Amusan. This was done in part to help her overcome the trauma of being suspended by the AIU due to the Whereabouts Failures accusation.