Nigeria’s Paris 2024 Olympics medal hopeful, Tobi Amusan, faced an unexpected defeat at the Mike Holloway Pro Classic in Florida, as reigning US College champion Grace Stark clinched victory decisively.
Amusan, the World Record holder in the women’s 100m hurdles, secured a second-place finish with a time of 12.60s, -1.7m/s, trailing Stark’s impressive winning mark of 12.58s. Stark’s performance underscores her readiness for the Paris Olympics.
As the NCAA Champion, Stark has showcased exceptional form this season, particularly at the US Olympic trials where she set a Personal Best of 12.31s, finishing second to Masai Russell’s world-leading 12.25s.
Defeating the former world champion convincingly, Stark’s consistency highlights her as a strong medal contender for her Olympic debut. Her performance signals her potential for success in Paris.
Despite Amusan’s loss, she remains a formidable contender, clocking an impressive 12.49s to win her heat race – the second-fastest time this season, behind her 12.40s in Jamaica.
The 27-year-old’s form suggests she can still make a significant impact at the Games.
With two weeks until the women’s 100m hurdles in Paris, Amusan has time to perfect her preparations for a peak performance, a feat she has achieved in previous major championships.
Amusan aims to become Nigeria’s first athlete to win a world outdoor and Olympic title, or at least medal, emulating Glory Alozie’s silver at Sydney 2000.
Meanwhile, US champion and world leader Russell, another strong contender for a medal in Paris, finished third in the race with a time of 12.66s, marking her second loss to Amusan that night.
Nevertheless, the trio is set to compete in Paris, each aiming for their first Olympic medal.
