TOBI Amusan overcame a slow start last night to win the women’s 100 metres hurdles at the Paris Diamond League, breaking the African record in the process.
The Nigerian sprint hurdler powered past her rivals to win the race in 12.41 seconds, which is a new national and continental record, beating her own old mark of 12.42s she set at last year’s Diamond League final.
Amusan finished well ahead of Devyne Charlton, who ran a 12.63s personal season’s best, with Cindy Sember third in 12.73s.
The 25-year-old Nigerian has been in brilliant form this season, having just won gold medals in the 100m hurdles and the women’s 4x100m relays at the African Athletics Championships in Mauritius last week.
There were also good results for other African athletes in Paris last night.
Ethiopia’s Selemon Barega won the men’s 5000m race ahead of Burundi’s Thierry Ndikumwenayo and another Ethiopian Muktar Edris as they completed an African sweep of the top three spots.
South Africa’s Luxolo Adams produced the biggest shock of the night when he clocked a huge personal best of 19.82s to win the men’s 200m, a massive improvement from his previous best mark of 20.01s.
He was followed to the finish line by Alexander Ogando in a Dominican Republic record of 20.03 and France’s Mouhamadou Fall, who ran a personal best of 20.26 ahead of Canada’s Tokyo Olympics champion Andre De Grasse, who clocked 20.38.
Cote d’Ivoire’s Marie-Josee Ta Lou placed third in the women’s 100m in 11.01s, behind Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce who cruised to victory in a 10.67s meeting record.
Britain’s Daryll Neita clocked 10.99 to claim the second position, with Poland’s Ewa Swoboda running a personal best of 11.05s in fourth place
Steven Gardiner of Bahamas clocked 44.21s to claim victory in the men’s 400m ahead of Dominican Republic’s Lidio Andres Feliz (44.92s) and South Africa’s Zakhiti Nene (44.99s).
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