By Peace Udugba
World record holder and former world champion, Tobi Amusan, has secured Nigeria’s first gold medal at the ongoing African Athletics Championships in Ghana after winning the women’s 100m hurdles final on Wednesday.
Amusan delivered a dominant performance in the final, building on her impressive display in the heats and semi-finals where she recorded the fastest times.
Her compatriot, US-based hurdler Adaobi Tabugbo, also impressed in the event, finishing third to claim her first individual medal for Nigeria. Ashley Miller, however, prevented a Nigerian 1-2 finish by securing the silver medal.
Despite the strong performances on the track, the competition has faced significant technical challenges. The official timing system was reportedly dysfunctional, while live results were unavailable at intervals. There were also incomplete result postings without wind readings and several inconsistent disqualifications, issues that have attracted criticism from athletes, coaches and observers.
Organisers are yet to officially release the final race time as of press time due to the ongoing technical difficulties.
Nevertheless, Amusan’s victory marks a major highlight for Nigeria at the championships and reinforces her status as one of Africa’s leading sprint hurdlers.
