Nigerian Athlete, Tobi Amusan finished second in the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational finals at the Percy Beard Track in Gainesville during the weekend.
The Tom Jones Invitational is a crucial preparatory event for athletes getting ready for the 2023 outdoor competitive season.
Amusan raced in her second competitive event on Saturday after successfully defending her Diamond League 100-meter hurdle title in September 2022 with a performance that set a meeting record of 12.29 seconds.
Recall that when Amusan became the first Nigeria to win a gold medal in the 100-meter hurdles events in 2022. Her time of 12.12 seconds remains the benchmark of the hurdles.
In his first outing in the 2023 outdoor season, the current world champion in the 100-meter hurdles finished in the tournament with a time of 12.59 seconds.
Nia Ali of the United States finished first to win gold in the tournament after finishing with a time of 12.53 seconds.
The 2022 global indoor champion from the Bahamas, Devyne Charlton, finished third with a time of 12.64 seconds.
Amusan qualified for the final with a time of 12.74 seconds (+1.1 m/s), which was the fourth-fastest time in the new season.
The fastest time in the preliminary stage was set by 2019 global champion Ali with a wind-aided 12.55 seconds (+2.8 m/s), beating out Danielle Williams of Jamaica, who finished in 12.64 seconds.
Amusan will now focus on defending her world title and, ideally, breaking records at the Diamond League this year and the World Athletics Championship in Budapest in August.
