Tobi Amusan, who holds the world record for the 100-meter hurdles and is a candidate for the Women’s World Athlete of the Year award in 2022, has inspired young Nigerians to pursue their aspirations.
This was said in an interview with BBC Yoruba by the gold medalist at the Commonwealth Games and the world’s fastest 100-meter hurdler.
Amusan said, “Young people, don’t let anyone throw cold water on your mind that you are not on the right path.”
The 25-year-old Nigerian hurdler urged the young people not to be deterred by disparaging remarks but to press on with their goals and ambitions.
“Believe that what you want in your heart, you can do it, and don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it or that you are not discouraged that the right path is right, it doesn’t go there.”
Amusan had an amazing 2022, setting a new world record for the 100-meter hurdles while winning gold at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon in 12.12 seconds.
Following that achievement, she won gold once more at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham before defending her Diamond League Trophy in Zurich with a new meet record time of 12.29 seconds. American icon Gail Devers held the previous record, which was in place for 22 years.
The athlete, who was born in Ijebu-Ode, also revealed that after realizing that athletics was her best chance for success, she began playing football.
“I first started playing football, but I realised that my path did not go there.”
Amusan, a sprint hurdler from Nigeria, became the world’s best in 2022 after nearly losing out on world medals in 2021 and 2019.
The women’s 100m hurdles world record achieved by Amusan at the 2022 World Championships in Oregon, United States, has just been ratified by World Athletics.
