Amusan begins Diamond League season in Xiamen

Three-time African Games champion and world record holder in women’s 100m hurdles, Tobi Amusan, will begin her Wanda Diamond League season in Xiamen on April 20, The PUNCH reports.

Amusan has been listed among 12 Olympic gold medallists and 27 world champions who will light up the spectacular Egret Stadium in Xiamen.

The 26-year-old will face three reigning global champions in the sprint hurdles – Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, world champion Danielle Williams and world indoor champion Devynne Charlton – in her title defence.

Amusan clinched the Wanda Diamond League title in Eugene, Oregon for the third consecutive year last September after finishing with an impressive season best 12.33secs.

Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico placed second in 12.38secs, while USA’s Harrison came third in 12.44secs.

The 2022 world champion, who holds the world record of 12.12secs, has been tipped as one of the athletes to battle Camacho-Quinn for the Olympic gold in Paris in August.

She will also be aiming to win it for the fourth successive time after she became the second woman in Diamond League history to achieve a hat-trick of 100m hurdles titles in 2023.

Amusan accomplished this feat on the same track in Oregon, where she won the World Championships the previous year and set the current world record of 12.12secs.

However, Amusan looks set to miss the second Diamond League meet of the year in Suzhou, China after her name was omitted from the confirmed list of sprint hurdlers for the meeting.

The Suzhou meet, billed to be held on April 27, will be the second of two Chinese events to kick off the 2024 Wanda Diamond League season.

Trio Camacho-Quinn, Williams and Charlton were listed for the meeting in Suzhou, China, while Amusan, barring any last-minute deal, will be heading back to either Europe or the USA.