Reigning Commonwealth Games 100m hurdles queen, Tobiloba Amusan will be eyeing her first IAAF Diamond League win on her sixth attempt when she takes to the track at the Stockholm Olympic Stadium tonight at the BAUHAUS-galan, Stockholm, Sweden, Completesports.com reports.
The petite Nigerian joined the Diamond League train last year at the Golden Gala in Rome where she ran 12.86 seconds to come third in a race USA’s Nelvis Sharika won.
Amusan has gone on to race four more times in the IAAF money spinning event, coming fifth (12.87) at the Rabat Meeting International Mohammed VI D’Athletisme in Rabat, Morocco on July 13, 2018; third (12.69) nine days later at the London Müller Anniversary Games with world record holder, Kendra Harrison winning.
The Nigerian made it to the final of the event at the Memorial van Damme in Brussels, Belgium at the end of August last year but could only place fourth as another American, Mcneal Briana emerged the IAAF Diamond League Champion and was awarded a Diamond Trophy, $50,000 prize money and a wild card for August/September IAAF World Championships in Doha, Qatar.
Amusan will be facing familiar foes in Stockhom tonight and she will have to run faster than the 12.73 seconds she ran in Doha at the start of May if she hopes to become the second sprint hurdler after Gloria Alozie to win in any IAAF money-spinning one day event.
Standing between her and history are world record holder, Harrison (12.20) who tops the world list so far this year with the 12.47 seconds she ran almost a forthnight ago in Baie Mahault, France and Nelvis who has a personal season’s best of 12.70 seconds.
Tonight’s race will be the third for Amusan over the high hurdles this year after running a wind-aided 12.96 seconds at the Drake Relays in Des Moines, the capital city of the state of Iowa in the USA.
The Nigerian improved to 12.73 seconds in Doha and will hope to run as fast as her 12.57 seconds personal best to stand a chance of winning tonight.
By Dare Esan
