RABAT, Morocco — Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan surged back into top form on Sunday, May 25, 2025, claiming victory in the women’s 100 metres hurdles at the Diamond League meet in Rabat, Morocco, with a season’s best time of 12.24 seconds.
The 28-year-old’s commanding performance shattered the meeting record previously held by American hurdler Brianna McNeal, who clocked 12.51 seconds in 2016.
The win marks Amusan’s first major triumph of the 2025 athletics season, following a rocky start.
She finished fourth in successive outings at the Xiamen and Shanghai Diamond League events earlier in May, falling short of podium finishes in both.
Her Rabat victory also signals a strong comeback after a disappointing 2024 campaign that ended with her failing to reach the final of the women’s 100m hurdles at the Paris Olympics — a moment that cast doubt over her competitive future.
Speaking after the race, Amusan attributed her rebound to a renewed focus on technical preparation, particularly her hurdle drills.
“More hurdles practice, because I have been doing more sprinting. It was after the first two Diamond League meetings, I knew I had to go back to doing more hurdle drills,” she said.
“Two weeks in, I can tell the difference.”
In March, Amusan picked up a confidence-boosting win at Velocity Fest 16 in Jamaica, though against a less competitive field.
Her latest performance in Rabat, however, reaffirms her credentials at the highest level.
Since transitioning to train with the Racers Track Club in Kingston, Jamaica — led by Glen Mills, the former coach of Usain Bolt — Amusan has focused on refining her form and execution, which appeared markedly improved in Morocco.
Amusan previously won the Diamond League trophy for the 100m hurdles in three consecutive years, from 2021 to 2023.
Her Rabat victory puts her firmly back in contention for a fourth title as the 2025 Diamond League season progresses.
Sunday’s result may also reignite hopes among Nigerian athletics fans ahead of the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, where Amusan will look to reclaim global dominance in her event.
