OPINION: Tobi Amusan’s journey to sporting immortality has only begun

About an hour before the final, Amusan stunned not just the competitors that lined up alongside her on the track in the 100m Hurdles semifinals but the rest of the world, clocking a jaw-dropping Personal Best (PB) and World Record (WR) time of 12.12s.

Then in the final, she attained the same feat, this time with a faster time of 12.06s (2.5m/s). However, this couldn’t be certified as the official new WR due to the excessive wind reading.

Less than two weeks after her Oregon achievement, Amusan successfully defended her Commonwealth title in a Games Record (GR) time of 12.30s, and Diamond League title in a Meeting Record (MR) time of 12.29s, while also winning the African title.

These are accomplishments very few elite athletes dream of having or attaining in their career, talkless of in a single season. So surely Amusan sealed her name in the sands of time of Nigerian and perhaps world athletics.

However, should she be satisfied with her WR and World title-winning sporting immortality, or it has only begun? The truth is it continues, as there are still more records to chase for and feats to achieve at this stage when she is at the peak of her career.

Amusan running 12.12s and a wind-assisted 12.06s highlights the possibilities of going sub-12s in the event. After her incredible 2022 performances, one of her future goals will be to smash her WR and become the first hurdler in history to run 11s.

If she does, It will be the greatest accomplishment in sprints hurdles history, as first woman to ever do it.

Gunning for her world title defence in Budapest will be the most significant hurdle she has to overcome this year.

Success at this will see her become only the third female athlete in history behind Gail Devers (1993 and 1995) and Michelle Perry (2005 and 2007) to achieve this feat back to back.

Another milestone will be equalling or surpassing Gail Dever’s iconic record of winning three world titles. If Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce can win her fifth world title at age 35, then Amusan has all it takes to go for three and more.

Amusan is yet to win an Olympic medal in the 100mH. At Tokyo 2020, she came agonizingly close with a fourth-place finish.

Nigeria’s last and only Olympic medallist in the event was Glory Alozie winning the Silver medal at Sydney 2000. If Amusan is to strengthen her position as the best or one of the best hurdlers to ever run the event, then an Olympic title and breaking the Olympic Record of (OR) of 12.30s is one she has to obtain.

Legendary athletes such as Usain Bolt, Fraser-Pryce, Allyson Felix, Devers, etc exceptionally dominated their events while winning multiple titles in the process.

The Nigerian has to prove her phenomenal 2022 season wasn’t a fluke by consistently dominating the event for more years and repeatedly winning the major titles.

Considering the women’s 100mH is one of the most competitive events in this era, Amusan has a lot to do in turning doubters into believers in her quest at being the greatest ever to run the 100mH.

If there’s anything Amusan has proven over the years, it is that she performs better under pressure, no matter the circumstance.

She has mastered the art of hurdling as the WR holder, backing it up with more success, and staying deaf to every noise around is one she has to master its art as well.

If she can do this effectively, the glory of her sporting immortality legacy will be boldly written in Gold which can never be matched or obliterated.

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