Buhari congratulates Amusan for World Athletics Championship 2022 record

President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Team Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan for winning the women’s 100m hurdles gold at the World Athletics Championship 2022, and in the process setting a new world record.

Amusan had also set a new world record twice during the championship held in Oregon , the United States, Sunday, first in the semi finals and then the final. However, while the world record of 12.06 seconds clocked in the final race of the event was chalked off for being wind-assisted, her time of 12.12 seconds returned in the semi-finals stood as a new world in the women’s 100m hurdles.

Amusan also becomes the first Nigerian to set a world athletics record.

She had smashed the previous best mark of 12.20 seconds held by United States’ Keni Harrison in 2016.

Amusan set two world records at the world athletics tourney in under a week.

Reacting to the achievement by Amusan, President Buhari, Monday, hailed ‘the outstanding feat by a compatriot and two-time African Games champion, who in one night stunned the athletics world with her superlative and stellar performance.’

“The President thanked the track superstar for making the Nigerian national anthem resonate again from the international podium, leaving the nation with the excitement and unforgettable memories of tears of joy and triumph; hope and victory; astonishment and belief.

“President Buhari says the legendary career and achievements of the golden girl will continue to inspire the upcoming generations of Nigerian athletes to achieve spectacular success.

“The President also commends Ese Brume for representing Nigeria with honour and pride, winning silver medal in the Women’s long jump event.

“He lauds Team Nigeria for displaying courage, integrity and good sportsmanship at the world stage, proving that with hard work and determination, success is achievable,” read a statement by the Presidency, Monday.

Meanwhile, earlier reacting to her victory after the race, Amusan said: “Honestly, I believe in my abilities but I was not expecting a world record at these championships.

“The goal is always just to execute well and get the win. So the world record is a bonus. I knew I had it in me but I could not believe it when I saw it on the screen after the semis.

“Before the final, I just tried to stay calm and to do my best. I took a deep breath knowing that I have some goal to accomplish and it worked pretty good. I knew it was very fast but not this fast.”

Harrison had been left in Amusan’s slipstream in the semi, and was again shown a clean pair of heels by the Nigerian in the final.

Also reacting to Nigeria’s late medals rally in Oregon as well as the country’s best performance ever at the Championships, Minister of Sports, Mr Sunday Sunday Dare, said these heartwarming feats will herald a new dawn for Nigerian athletics.

“I am so proud of what Tobi Amusan, Ese Brume and even those who didn’t get on the podium have achieved in Eugene, Oregon. This is the beginning of great things for Nigerian athletics. This is a new dawn,” Dare said.

“Years of hard work and consistently knocking on the door has yielded the right dividends. For the first time in our history we have a World Champion. This is huge. Congratulations to Nigeria.

“For me, these medals are not the only positives from the World Championships. The 4×100m relay teams (men and women) showed a lot of promise for the future.

“The women barely got here as the 16th best team in the world but they got so close to getting on the podium, the men also gave it their best shot and showed they have a bright future. Our athletes in the short sprints also showed character.

“Some of them are competing on a high level stage like this for the first time, rubbing shoulders with very experienced and tournament tested veterans and legends and not falling too far behind in extremely tough situations.

“They can beat their chests and be proud of what they have achieved. We now have the responsibility to continue to support them by creating the right environment for their growth,” Dare added.

With the World Championships now over, focus would shift to the Commonwealth Games starting later this week in Birmingham, United Kingdom.

“We have gained a great momentum going into the Commonwealth Games now, this will definitely inspire Team Nigeria to making a huge impact in Birmingham,” Dare said.