VIDEO: Tobi Amusan bags national honour

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) on Thursday conferred on Nigerian sprinter, Tobi Amusan.

She was conferred by the President, the Officer of the Order of the Niger, OON in recognition of her heroics in athletics.

Amusan became the first Nigerian athlete to win a World Athletics Championship gold in the women’s 100m hurdles in Oregon.

Preceding her emergence as the recipient of Nigeria’s first-ever World Championship gold, Amusan had produced a jaw-dropping world record in the semi-finals, smashing the previous best mark of 12.20secs held by Keni Harrison of the United States in 2016.

She also became the first Nigerian to bag a Diamond League trophy in September 2021 when she set a sensational African Record and Personal Best of 12.42secs, Zurich, breaking Glory Alozie’s 23-year African record.

Also, she broke the African record after clocking 12.41 seconds in the 100m women’s hurdle in June 2022.

Amusan broke her own record with her third-best run of the season at the Diamond League meet in Paris, France.

During the Paris Diamond League, Amusan blazed to victory with a time (12.41secs – AR) that moved her up to third in the world in 2022, only behind World Leader Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (12.37s) and Alaysha Johnson (12.40s).

The 25-year-old won the title for the first time in 2018 at the 21st edition of the competition and is now the third Nigerian to successfully defend the sprint hurdles title after Maria Usifo (1984 and 1985) and Glory Alozie (1996, 1998, and 2000).

She is fifth African to achieve this feat.

In August 2021, Amusan won her first semi-final in 12.62s to become the first Nigerian since Glory Alozie at Sydney 2000 to qualify for the 100m Hurdles final at the Olympics.

She broke Nigeria’s 21-year-old record.

Recently, she won the 100m women’s hurdles at the Women’s Diamond League in Zurich.