Amusan Leads Gold Rush in Accra, Wins Hurdles, Relay Events

World record holder in the women’s 100m hurdles, Tobi Amusan, exerted her dominance on the continent again at the on-going 2023 African Games in Ghana, winning a third hurdles title in the competition in 12.89s on the tracks of the University of Ghana Sports Complex Wednesday night, the PUNCH reports.

Amusan also led the women’s 4x100m team to a gold medal finish on the night a dominant Nigerian athletics team claimed five gold medals.

Although she was far from the rest as she coasted through the finish line, her latest win didn’t come without a scare, as she survived disqualification with a caution for false start.

The 26-year-old diffused the pressure of the initial start, winning the race ahead of Madagascar’s Fiadanantsoa Sidonie (13.19s) in second while Zimbabwe champion, Tinashe Kamangirira, won bronze with a time of 13.59s.

Another Nigerian in the hurdles final, Faith Osamuyi, missed out on a podium finish after she finished fourth in 13.77s.

Amusan’s first African Games title was in her debut appearance in Brazzaville in 2015, when she first set the Games record.

She then lowered the record with her second title at the previous edition in Rabat 2019, running 12.68s, which is still the Games record.

Nigeria also won gold in the men’s 400m courtesy of Chidi Okezie, who also claimed his first gold since he started representing the country in 2016.

He ran a stunning race in the final, storming to a personal best of 45.06s, the fastest time by a Nigerian athlete in nine years.

Zambia’s Muzala Samukonga finished second with 45.37s while Senegal’s Diouf Cheick Tidiane was third in 45.49s.

In the women’s 400m final, Esther Joseph also ran a new personal best (51.61s) to claim silver. She was beaten by world 800m champion Mary Moraa of Kenya, who clocked 50.57s for the win.

Barely an hour after winning the hurdles, Amusan teamed up with the women’s 4x100m relay team and anchored them to a gold medal finish in a compelling display. Starting from Justina Eyakpobeyan to Olayinka Olajide and Fore Abinusawa to Amusan, the quartet was no match for other countries and delivered gold in a time of 43.05s ahead of Liberia (44.02s) and hosts Ghana in 44.21s.

Nigeria completed the 4x100m double as the men’s team also claimed a photo-finish win ahead of Ghana in second and Liberia in third.

Sunday Okon, Consider Ekanem, Alaba Akintola and Usheoritshe Itsekiri held on for a photo finish against their rivals and hosts Ghana in a time of 38.41s. The Ghanaians were close with a time of 38.43s while Liberia set a new national record of 38.73s.

Kemi Francis also won gold for Nigeria in the women’s heptathlon with 911 points in the series of events, which ended with the 200m.

Meanwhile, Team Nigeria remains second behind runaway leaders Egypt with a total number of 90 medals: 35 gold, 23 silver and 32 bronze.

Perennial champions Egypt is on the way to winning this year’s edition of the continental showpiece event with 167 medals in the bag: 92 gold, 41 silver and 34 bronze, while third-place South Africa have 97 medals: 29 gold, 30 silver and 38 bronze.