World 100m hurdles record holder Tobi Amusan will not be competing in her signature event at the Racers Grand Prix in Kingston, Jamaica, today. Instead, the Nigerian sprint star will take to the track for the highly anticipated Women’s 100m A Final, in what marks a continued shift in her athletic focus.
The 27-year-old is set to face a stacked field at the National Stadium, going head-to-head with Jamaican sprint talents Tia and Tina Clayton, Kemba Nelson, Ashanti Moore, and Alana Reid. She will also battle against American speedsters Mikiah Brisco and Jacious Sears in what promises to be a thrilling race.
Amusan was initially listed in the B Final but was later promoted to the elite A Final, also dubbed the “Championship Sponsored by KFC.” She enters the race with a season’s best of 11.28 seconds, achieved in March at the Velocity Fest 16 in Kingston — where she clocked 11.41s in the heats and improved in the final.
This will be her second flat sprint appearance of the season and third overall since April 2024. Her most recent outing over the distance came at the Tom Jones Memorial in Gainesville, Florida, where she finished third in 11.26s — just shy of her personal best of 11.10s, set in 2023 on the same track.
Amusan’s gradual transition from hurdles to flat sprints has been one of the more intriguing developments in track and field this season. In November 2024, she made a bold career move by relocating to Kingston to train under legendary sprint coach Glen Mills at Racers Track Club — the same facility that produced sprint greats Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake.
Speaking on the transition, Amusan said, “I feel like I’m more of a sprinter than a hurdler, and I wasn’t about to let that talent go to waste. After the Olympics, my coach, Lacena Golding-Clarke, and I explored our options and agreed Racers Track Club was the best place for me.”
She praised Coach Mills for his tailored training approach, noting, “I’m a fragile athlete; I can’t take a daily beating, so it takes a very special coach to work with someone like me.”
Although she faced a minor training setback earlier this year, Amusan says she’s regaining momentum: “I’m taking it one day at a time. Things have been going well, and I’m excited for the rest of the season.”
Her presence at the Racers Grand Prix has become a staple in recent years. “I’ve competed at the Racers Grand Prix for two years in a row and haven’t lost yet,” she said. “The fans bring the energy, and we feed off that. Hopefully, we’ll see a full stadium this time around.”
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s other sprint sensation, Favour Ofili, has withdrawn from this year’s event. Ofili had been one of the headline acts for the prestigious meet organized by Glen Mills but pulled out for undisclosed reasons.
