Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan lost her women’s 100m hurdles world record yesterday after American Masai Russell produced a stunning 12.09 seconds at the Zurich Diamond League.
Russell’s performance erased the 12.12 world record Amusan set at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene.
Amusan, however, produced one of her strongest performances of the season to finish second in 12.23 seconds, a season’s best.
The race was held in still conditions with a wind reading of 0.0m/s, leaving no doubt about the legality of Russell’s record-breaking performance.
Dutch hurdler Nadine Visser finished third in a season’s best 12.34 seconds, ahead of Jamaica’s Danielle Williams, who clocked 12.56.
Russell’s 12.09 also became the Diamond League and meeting record as she lowered Amusan’s four-year-old world mark by three hundredths of a second.
For Amusan, the result provided further evidence of her return to top form despite surrendering the record she had held since July 2022.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Ezekiel Nathaniel continued his impressive season with a third-place finish in the men’s 400m hurdles at the Zurich Diamond League also yesterday.
Nathaniel clocked 47.50 seconds to finish behind Brazil’s Alison dos Santos and Norwegian star Karsten Warholm.
Dos Santos produced a commanding run to win in 45.80 seconds, while Warholm crossed the line second in 46.69.
Nathaniel, competing against some of the biggest names in the event, held off Brazil’s Matheus Lima, who finished fourth in 47.57 seconds.
Abderrahman Samba of Qatar followed in 47.77, with Slovenia’s Matic Ian Gucek sixth in 47.80.
Switzerland’s Dany Brand finished seventh in 48.92, while American Chris Robinson was eighth in 51.41.
Also, Nigeria’s Samuel Ogazi did not compete in the men’s 400m at Zurich meeting despite being expected to feature in the race.
In Ogazi’s absence, Japan’s Yuki Joseph Nakajima claimed victory in a season’s best 44.62 seconds.
Italy’s Edoardo Scotti finished a close second in 44.70, also a season’s best, while Grenada’s former world and Olympic champion Kirani James took third in 44.83.
American Vernon Norwood was fourth in 44.92, with Switzerland’s Lionel Spitz completing the top five in a season’s best 45.29.
Ricky Petrucciani was sixth in 45.99, Manuel Gerber seventh with a personal best 46.08 and Haydn Brotschi eighth in 46.16.
Ogazi’s failure to take part denied Nigeria another opportunity for a podium finish on a night Ezekiel Nathaniel secured third place in the men’s 400m hurdles and Tobi Amusan finished second in the women’s 100m hurdles.