Amusan wins silver at inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship - Punch Newspapers
Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan won the silver medal in the women’s 100m hurdles at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, Hungary, on Friday. Amusan clocked 12.34 seconds to finish second behind United States Olympic champion Masai Russell, who won the title in 12.22 seconds. Netherlands’ Nadine Visser completed the podium after finishing third in 12.39 seconds. The result meant Amusan, a former world record holder in the event, was unable to reclaim the top spot from Russell, who broke the Nigerian’s world record with a time of 12.09 seconds at the Zurich Diamond League in August. Russell entered the Budapest final as the favourite following her record-breaking performance in Zurich and maintained her impressive form to claim another victory. The American also extended her unbeaten run in 2026, adding the Ultimate Championship title to the Diamond League Final crown she won in Brussels last week. Reflecting on her performance after the race, Amusan said she went into the championship determined to give her best after a challenging period during the season. “First, God is good,” Amusan said. “What started off as an amazing season, you know, in between I had some nipping here and there. You know, I’m not a robot. You know, the body did shut down at a point.” The 29-year-old hurdler said she gradually regained her momentum by taking each race as it came before arriving in Budapest with a determined mindset. “Coming into this championship, my mindset going to the line was, ‘We die here.’ I just kept telling myself I have to give it my all,” she said. Amusan said she was determined to put everything into the race regardless of the eventual outcome. Nigerian stars seek World Athletics Ultimate Champs glory National Intermediate Games postponed to Q1 of 2027 – Official Amusan misses podium as Russell wins Diamond League crown “All I knew was, look, I did it. That’s all I knew. And the second I saw the second-place finish, I was like, look, I can’t complain. God is good,” she said. The silver medal came after a difficult period for Amusan, who finished third at the Commonwealth Games before Russell broke her 100m hurdles world record. She later finished fourth at the Diamond League Final. Amusan admitted that the setbacks had been emotionally difficult but credited her family, mentor, coach and boyfriend with helping her regain her confidence. “I’m not going to lie. It was very rough,” Amusan said. “I mean, to my family, to my mentor, to my coach, to my boyfriend. That’s brought life back into me.” She said the encouragement she received from those close to her helped her put the setbacks behind her and focus on the Budapest race. “This morning it was all about put the past behind you and just go for it. And those few sentences that I got here and there got me to this finish line today,” she said. Amusan said her second-place finish, alongside her Commonwealth medal, represented a positive response to the setbacks she had experienced. “With the Commonwealth medal, it is a statement,” she said. On the increasing competitiveness in the women’s 100m hurdles, Amusan described the event as becoming more difficult, warning that the battle among the leading hurdlers would intensify. “Honestly, in that event, I think I would be the sleeping lion,” she said. “I think the women’s hurdles is just getting scarier every damn year. Next year, I do not know what’s going to happen. But it’s going to be bloody.” Olugbenga Ige Olugbenga Ige is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with over nine years of professional reporting experience. He is known for his sharp eye for compelling stories and a strong instinct for identifying newsworthy developments. Over the years, Olugbenga has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience, editorial judgment, and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
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