“People Told Me No African Would Succeed in Hurdles, But I Became World Record Holder” — Tobi Amusan

Nigeria’s sprint hurdles queen, Tobi Amusan, has urged young Africans not to allow fear or negative opinions to limit their dreams, recalling how many people once told her that no African athlete could dominate the hurdles event globally.

Amusan made the remark after producing a commanding performance to win the women’s 100 metres hurdles at the 2026 African Senior Athletics Championships in Accra, Ghana.

The Nigerian star stormed to victory in a season’s best time of 12.83 seconds to hand Team Nigeria its first gold medal of the competition and further reaffirm her status as one of Africa’s greatest track athletes.

Reflecting on her journey after the race, Amusan said doubters had once tried to discourage her from pursuing a career in hurdling because of the belief that Africans could not excel in the event at the highest level.

“Don’t let anyone talk fear into your dreams,” she said.

“I remember when I started hurdling, I heard a lot of ‘Oh, nobody is going to do well as a hurdler from Africa.’ And guess who is the world record holder? Me.”

The victory marked Amusan’s third African Championships title, extending her dominance on the continent and adding another milestone to an already historic career.

The 28-year-old remains Africa’s most decorated female hurdler and one of Nigeria’s most celebrated athletes in recent history.

Amusan made global history in 2022 when she became the first Nigerian athlete to win a gold medal at the World Athletics Championships. At the championships in Eugene, Oregon, she set the current women’s 100m hurdles world record of 12.12 seconds during the semi-final before running an even faster 12.06 seconds in the final, although the latter was wind-assisted.

Beyond her world title, the Ogun State-born athlete is also a multiple African champion, Commonwealth Games champion and African Games gold medallist, having dominated the women’s 100m hurdles event across major international competitions over the years.

Her latest triumph in Ghana has again sparked celebrations among Nigerian sports fans, with many describing her as an inspiration to young Africans seeking to break barriers on the global stage.