Tobi Amusan, a five-time national champion and world record holder, will aim for a third African 100-meter hurdles title as she starts her campaign at the 2026 African Senior Athletics Championships in Accra, Ghana, which begin today at the University of Ghana.
Amusan enters the continental championships with a stellar record, having won five gold medals in both individual and relay competitions.
She repeated the sprint hurdles and relay double at Mauritius in 2022, won the 100-meter and 4×100-meter relay medals at Asaba in 2018, and added another relay gold at Douala in 2024.
Despite being anticipated to fight for a third 100-meter hurdles title in Douala, she chose to participate in the relay rather than the individual event due to personal reasons.
The current winner in the women’s 100-meter hurdle is Ebony Morrison of Liberia, who beat Marione Fourie of South Africa and Sidonie Fiadanantsoa of Madagascar with a time of 12.7 seconds.
Although it is anticipated that Amusan will have a simple time regaining the championship, she will face competition from her countrymen Adaobi Tabugbo and Janet Sunday.
After placing fifth in the 100mH at Douala 2024 and winning gold in the relay with Amusan, Tabugbo is accustomed to the championship scene.
With a personal best time of 12.87 seconds, she enters the tournament with good form and ranks among Nigeria’s quickest competitors ever.
Sunday, on the other hand, has comparatively little senior-level experience. She will be making her first significant international debut and has a personal best of 13.67 seconds, which she set at the AFN Golden League in Benin in March 2026.
Today’s women’s 100mH heats are slated for 5:30 p.m., and the second day’s final is scheduled for 4:45 p.m.
In addition to Accra, Amusan is anticipated to start her 2026 Diamond League season three days later in Shanghai, where she will participate in a prestigious women’s 100mH field in the campaign’s opening meeting.
In addition to current world champion Ditaji Kambundji, Olympic winner Masai Russell, Jamaican world champion Danielle Williams, and Bahamian hurdler Devynne Charlton, the lineup in China will feature Amusan, whose mark of 12.12 seconds is still the fastest in history.
