Tobi Amusan became a world record holder and world champion in the 100m hurdles, but she still remembers how her father burned her training gear.
Finishing fourth at the 2019 World Championships in Athletics and the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the Nigerian’s perseverance has finally written her name into the athletics record books.
In the semifinals of the World Championships in Oregon, the 25-year-old ran 12.12 seconds, nearly a tenth of a second below the previous world record, and won gold in the final.
However, it always seemed like the chances of his racing career were slim from the start.
“My parents are both teachers, they are strict disciplinarians,” Amusan said in an interview. “When you grow up in a family like that, they think you should focus on school. And as a woman, they think you’re going to lose your way, lose your focus, and all that.
“But because my mom saw what I didn’t see [in] myself, she felt she could give me a chance. And she kept telling me not to let her down.
“My mom used to tell my dad I was going to church while I was sneaking off to practice or telling him I was going to a debate at school while I was going to competition outside of State. That’s how it all started.
“My dad got really mad once when he found out I was running. He burned all my training gear and told my mum that was the last time he wanted to see me in a stadium. ”
A few years later, tears of joy flowed as Amusan stepped onto the top step of the podium at Hayward Field on a historic day for Nigeria, which saw the country’s national anthem played for the very first time. time at the World Championships in Athletics.
“I haven’t figured it out yet, so maybe the magnitude of what just happened will hit me later,” she said.
“I go out there and give 100 percent at every championship and that’s never enough. Each time it is fourth place.
“So my 100% this time is not just a gold medal, but also a world record. By relying on myself it all became easier. I am grateful to the man above for keeping me healthy. When God says it’s your time, it’s your time. ”
Her father may have doubted her, but Amusan has always been very confident in her abilities. In November 2016, she tweeted: “Now unknown but soon I will be unforgettable, I will persist until I succeed.” The post remained pinned to the top of his social media profile, offering a summary of his rise to fame in Eugene.
But her athletic journey started by accident at Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School in Ogun State, Nigeria.
“I was on the football team, but I was all over the pitch,” Amusan said.
“My coach suggested I try my hand at athletics and I ended up being the fastest girl on the team and that’s how I got into the school relay.”
She then made the national team for the 2013 African Youth Games in Nigeria, but missed out on a spot in the relay and instead won bronze in the long jump.
Also read: Tobi Amusan: The Gold Medal That United Nigeria For A Day
Obstacles competition was another unexpected turn on Amusan’s road to stardom, and it was where she would really break into the senior scene. “The referees always chose who they wanted in the relay. Sometimes they said I didn’t have the experience, so they chose who their favorite was,” he explained.
“There was a lot of pressure on a young athlete. I thought about quitting. I really wanted to travel with the senior national team and some coaches told me to try obstacles.”
Transfer to the USA and fourth place
Amusan retained his African title in Mauritius last month before finally achieving success in a major world championship
She had to overcome the doubts of Nigerian athletics officials before clinching his first senior hurdles title at the 2015 African Games in Congo-Brazzaville. “The typical Nigerian approach is to make you feel like you can’t make it,” he said.
“I didn’t expect to win a medal at those Games. There were so many rumors that I couldn’t do it, but I used it to prove I could do it – and that title changed my life.
“That’s how I got a scholarship in the US. I can say that’s where my athletic career really began. I have never dreamed of going to the United States. I just wanted to run fast and be one of the great Nigerians. ”
Since he moved to the University of Texas, El Paso, Amusan hasn’t looked back.
She won gold in the 100m hurdles at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia, and later that same year he won his first African championship title at home in Asaba.
But in major global events, she would painfully lose medals, finishing fourth at the Doha World Championships three years ago and again in Tokyo last year. “2019 was difficult because I remember setting the best time in the qualifying rounds, more or less at the same time in the semifinals and at the same time in the final,” he said. “I ran so fast but not fast enough to get a medal. I was broken, I was devastated. It was one of the most terrifying experiences.
“I moved on and then the Tokyo Olympics came around. Things came crashing down a month earlier when I strained my Achilles tendon during training.
She has constant support from his mother, but his father has remained unperturbed by his exploits.
“Honestly, he still doesn’t support me with tracking,” he said.
“There seems to be more to life than running around. Every time I call him when I’m at a game she just says ‘Okay, do your best, God will help you and that’s it.”
The new world champion and record holder – who also collected a $ 100,000 check for the sizzling Oregon show – will now defend her Commonwealth gold in Birmingham.
Given Amusan’s early success, her father is sure to embrace her successes soon.
