My Body Shut Down — Tobi Amusan Reveals Battle Behind World Championships Silver Medal

Nigerian hurdler Tobi Amusan has opened up about the physical and emotional challenges she endured during the season after winning silver in the women’s 100m hurdles at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, Hungary, on Friday, September 11.

The 29-year-old clocked 12.34 seconds to finish second behind American Olympic champion Masai Russell, who claimed gold in 12.22 seconds, while Dutch hurdler Nadine Visser secured the bronze medal after finishing in 12.39 seconds.

According to Bush Radio Academy, Amusan entered the championship following a challenging season that featured minor injuries, a third-place finish at the Commonwealth Games and a fourth-place result at the Diamond League Final.

Reflecting on the difficulties she faced, the former world record holder admitted that the demands of competing at the highest level eventually affected her physically.

“First, God is good,” Amusan said, explaining that although the season started impressively, she encountered several setbacks along the way.

She noted that her body eventually struggled under the demands of the campaign, stressing that she is human and not a machine.

“I’m not a robot. The body did shut down at a point,” she said.

Amusan explained that she gradually regained her rhythm by concentrating on each race individually before heading into the Budapest final determined to give everything she had.

She revealed that her mindset before the race was to leave everything on the track and make the most of the opportunity. After finishing second, she said she was satisfied with the result and grateful for the outcome.

The silver medal came after a particularly difficult period for the Nigerian star, especially following Russell’s world-record performance of 12.09 seconds at the Zurich Diamond League in August.

Amusan admitted that dealing with the setbacks had been difficult but expressed gratitude to her family, mentor, coach and boyfriend for helping her rebuild her confidence and remain focused.

She said their encouragement played an important role in helping her put the difficult moments behind her and approach the championship with renewed determination.

Looking ahead, Amusan warned that the women’s 100m hurdles is becoming increasingly competitive, with the leading athletes continuing to raise the standard.

The Nigerian star described herself as a potential “sleeping lion” and suggested that fans should expect an even more fiercely contested hurdles event next season.

She acknowledged that it would be difficult to predict what the future holds but insisted that the competition is likely to become even tougher.