There are silver medals, and then there are silver medals that feel like redemption. For Nigeria’s sprint queen, Tobi Amusan, Monday night in Tokyo was exactly that.
With a sharp 12.29s run, the 28-year-old hurdler stormed to second place in the women’s 100m hurdles at the 2025 World Championships — the very same track where, four years ago, she finished a gutting fourth at the Olympics. This time, she left with hardware.
Switzerland’s Ditaji Kambundji stole the gold with a national record of 12.24s, while Grace Stark of the U.S. clinched bronze in 12.34s. Olympic champion Masai Russell trailed in fourth at 12.44s.
For Amusan, it wasn’t just about the clock. It was about exorcising ghosts. “I remember in 2021, I came here and I came fourth,” she said, visibly emotional. “The moment I heard World Championships was going to be kept here, I had PTSD. But I had to snap out of it. I told myself I’m not leaving here without the gold medal. I don’t know… but I’ll take a silver. It’s been God. The journey has been extremely rough. I’ve taken more L’s than wins.”
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And that journey? It’s been a marathon of resilience. From the high of breaking the world record in Oregon in 2022, to the lows of injuries, admin battles, and endless doubt, Amusan has had to fight to stay in the game. This silver, she insists, isn’t just hers.
“This is for everyone who supported me through it all. Look at the lineup in women’s hurdles — it’s anybody’s race. But I worked really hard, and I deserve this. I’m just thankful I didn’t leave with no medal again this year.”
Earlier this season, she had already dropped hints of what was coming, clocking a 12.24s season’s best. Now, with her Tokyo silver, she’s proved she was right where she needed to be. “Trust me, I knew I was coming. A 12.29 to get the silver medal — we’ll take it. It could be better, but we’ll take it.”
And because Amusan doesn’t just make statements on the track, Tokyo also got a glimpse of her off-track reinvention: a bold pixie cut that’s as practical as it is chic. “I was just tired of braiding my hair,” Amusan laughed. “I train Monday through Saturday. There’s no time to rest, and on Sundays when I should rest, I don’t want to sit at a salon. So I just chopped it off. No stress, no drama.”
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