World record holder in the women’s 100m hurdles, Tobi Amusan, has withdrawn from the final of this year’s Diamond League in Zurich.
The season-ending competition, which brings together some of the world’s best athletes competing for a $50,000 prize, began on Wednesday and concludes today (Thursday).
Amusan qualified as the second-best athlete in her event this season, with 27 points, but will no longer compete. She has been replaced by Bahamas’ Devynne Charlton, the reigning world indoor champion.
The women’s hurdles field now includes Charlton, Jamaica’s world champion Danielle Williams and Ackera Nugent, Dutch star Nadine Visser, Switzerland’s Ditaji Kambundji and Selina von Jackowski, alongside Americans Tonea Marshall, Grace Stark, and Kendra Harrison.
Amusan, who holds the meet record of 12.29s from her 2022 victory, has won the Diamond League title three times consecutively (2021, 2022, and 2023). Her withdrawal is seen by some analysts as a strategic move to prepare for next month’s World Championships in Tokyo, especially after a disappointing performance in Lausanne where she clipped the first hurdle and finished fifth.
Other Nigerian Athletes in Action
Despite Amusan’s absence, Nigeria will still be represented in Zurich:
- Ezekiel Nathaniel, African record holder in the men’s 400m hurdles, is set to compete for the Diamond League crown after securing his first professional win in Lausanne with a time of 48.08s.
- Udodi Onwuzurike, who made his Diamond League debut last week, will line up in the men’s 200m final.
However, Favour Ofili, one of Nigeria’s leading sprinters, has been delisted from the women’s 200m despite achieving the qualifying mark.
As the final wraps up, all eyes remain on the Nigerian athletes in Zurich and Amusan’s build-up to the World Championships next month.