World record holder, Tobi Amusan is now the fastest woman in the women’s 100m hurdles this year after running a blistering 12.40s to win the inaugural Jamaica Athletics Invitational in Kingston, winning the race ahead of Jamaican and world champion, Danielle Williams.
For most of the race, Amusan was behind reigning world champion Danielle Williams and America’s Nia Ali but surged ahead in the closing stages, beating the previous world-leading time of 12.42s set by Tonea Marshall of the USA on April 20.
The world record holder claimed the victory ahead of Williams, the world champion, who ran a season’s best 12.46 seconds, and American Christina Clemons, who was third with 12.54 seconds.
The Nigerian has now taken over the world lead from American Tonea Marshall, who had run 12.42 seconds in late April.
Another Jamaican athlete, Yanique Thompson, secured fourth in 12.59s, while Ali slipped to fifth with a time of 12.65s.
Amusan and other prominent athletes snubbed the Doha Diamond League to attend the Jamaica Invitational.
The Nigerian ended last season on a high by winning the Diamond League in Eugene, Oregon, for a third consecutive time, silencing critics about her disappointing performance at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, where she placed fifth and lost the title to Williams.
Amusan’s latest win comes two months before the Paris 2024 Olympics.
