By Victor Kanayo
Reigning World Champion, Tobi Amusan has qualified to run in the final of the Women’s 100m Hurdles at the ongoing 2022 Commonwealth Games, after she won her heat with fastest time of 12.40s in Round 1 Heat 3.
The Nigerian Athletics star qualified for the next round alongside Michelle Jenneke of Australia’s (12.63) and Canada’s Michelle Harrison (12.85).
In Heat 1, Cindy Denver of England came first in a time of 12.67 and progressed to the next round with Jamaica’s Danielle Williams, who ran 12.80 to finish in second place.
The times recorded in Heat 2 were also a far cry from Amusans’, with Megan Tapper of Jamaica finishing first in 12.68 seconds and advanced to the next round alongside Devynne Charlton.
The Bahamas and Celeste Mucci of Australia ran 12.70 and 12.96 in second and third places, respectively, with the latter recording her Personal Best.
The final is scheduled to take place on Sunday at the Alexander Arena.
Amusan became the first Nigerian world champion in an athletics event when she won the 2022 World Athletics Championships 100 metre hurdles gold medal, setting a new world record of 12.12 seconds in the semifinal, followed up by a 12.06 second record in the final to take the gold medal.
She was the 2018 Commonwealth Champion in the 100m hurdles. She’s also the reigning African Champion in the event, winning back-to-back gold medals at the 2018 and 2022 African Championships in Athletics and is also a two-time African Games champion in the event.
Long Jump
Amusan’s compatriots Ese Brume and Ruth Usoro also secured their place in the women’s long jump final.
Brume, who competed in Group A, finished second with a jump of 6.81m behind Ghana’s Deborah Acquah who topped the group with a jump of 8.85m.
Usoro, who competed in Group B, finished third with a jump of 6.56m to qualify for the final.
Boxing
Meanwhile, four Nigerian boxers are looking to box their way to the final as they slug it out with their semi-final opponents at the ongoing 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham on Saturday.
All but one of the medal prospects, one male and three females, qualified for this stage on Thursday, and it is expected that Nigeria will get some medals to improve its placement on the medals table.
