World record holder in the 100m women’s hurdles Tobi Amusan has broken Gloria Alozie’s 25-year-old 60m hurdles indoor record.
The 26-year-old set an African record as she dipped under 7.8 seconds in the 60m hurdles at the Astana Indoor Meet in Kazakhstan on Saturday.
Amusan’s record of 7.77 seconds smashed Alozie’s 25-year-old record of 7.82 seconds, set in 1999 during the Madrid Championship.
The Ijebu Ode-born athlete finished first in the event’s final, ahead of Nia Ali of the US and Ireland’s Sarah Lavin, who finished second and third, respectively.
Amusan’s 7.77-second achievement might enter the all-time top 20 records after every adjustment.
The victory will serve Amusan as a bright way to start the year following a rollercoaster season in 2023. She was provisionally suspended before the World Championships for missed drug tests but later cleared.
Amusan then failed to defend her 100m hurdles world title, finishing sixth in Budapest. Although, she ended the year on a high by winning her third consecutive Diamond League trophy.
Amusan has her eyes set on the 2024 Olympic Games, scheduled for Paris and starting from July 26.
