World record holder Tobi Amusan will compete in the semi-finals of the 100m hurdles at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games today, August 9, at the Stade de France. Amusan secured her place in the semi-finals with a strong performance on Wednesday, clocking 12.49 seconds to outpace USA’s Alaysha Johnson (12.61s) and Jamaica’s Janeek Brown (12.84s).
In the semi-finals, Amusan will face a competitive field including reigning world champion Danielle Williams, USA’s Grace Stark, and Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas, among others. The top two finishers in each semi-final will automatically advance to Saturday’s final, with the two fastest non-automatic qualifiers also making the cut.
Amusan, 27, recorded the second-fastest time in the heats, just behind Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico, who posted a time of 12.42 seconds. Reflecting on her performance, Amusan expressed optimism about her prospects. “The first time I came as an Olympian, I was quite young; the second time, I gained more experience but didn’t make the podium. This time, I feel it’s my season,” she said.
Amusan’s strong showing in the lead-up to the Olympics includes a season’s best and world-leading time of 12.40 seconds at the Jamaican Athletics Invitational in Kingston in May. She also set the African 60m hurdles indoor record twice earlier in the year and won her third consecutive African Games title in March.
The Nigerian athlete, who is a three-time Diamond League winner, two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist, two-time African champion, and three-time African Games gold medallist, has competed in the Olympics twice before—at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. As the world record holder, she carries Nigeria’s hopes for a medal in the 100m hurdles.
