Amusan foresaw her victory, Jamaica’s Williams says

Jamaica’s Danielle Williams,Tobi Amusan said she had confidence that Tobi Amusan would set a new mark even before the championship began in Eugene, Oregon, United States.

Jamaica’s Danielle Williams had finished third in the 100 metres semifinals, setting a world record.

Amusan ran a race in the 100 metres women semifinals to break the existing record with a time of 12.12 seconds.

Nexus News learnt that she came back 90 minutes later to further change the hand of the clock in the final, running 12.6 seconds to win Nigeria’s first World Championship gold medal.

Her final time of 12.6 seconds was, but, not recognised as a world record because ‘it was wind assisted.’

In reaction to Amusan’s feat, Williams, a former world champion, who could not make the podium in Oregon, said: “I ran the greatest race of my life and so, if I don’t make the final, I am satisfied because I know I gave the best I had today.

“The race was wicked. Tobi literally spoke it into existence. Just last night, I was watching on Shanice’s Instagram … they have a wall that says ‘only the best of athletes’ and on Shanice’s page I saw a little snippet of what Tobi wrote: “Incoming world record holder.’

“To see it unfold today is amazing. I am proud of Tobi. Definitely, she can speak things into existence.”

Williams added that Amusan’s feat was a prize for hard work and determination after so many heartbreaking moments in her career.

“Tobi is one of my closest friends in the circuit. She was frustrated when she finished fourth in Doha and Olympics in Japan and almost quit the sport. It was terrible for her.

“Her performance today is an inspiration for me because it is not easy to come out strong after all she had gone through. To see her do this now is amazing,” she said.

After Amusan’s world record-breaking race in the semifinals, Usain Bolt who first broke the sprint world records at the Olympics in Beijing, China and rewrote the books again in 2009, tweeted with emoji of Nigerian flag: “Congrats.”

Aside from making it to the World Athletics’ record books, Amusan also ended the championship $100, 000 richer.

Amusan broke the six-year-old record of 12.20 seconds held by Keni Harrison, who was in the same heat and finished second.

In 2016, Harrison also broke the record under unusual circumstances — in London, a week before the Olympics started after she had failed to qualify for the U.S. team heading to Rio de Janeiro.

Amusan’s record came on the opening race of an evening session expected to be headlined by the Americans. The U.S. came into the evening with 28 medals and needed three to break the world championships record. Races on the schedule included the men’s and women’s 4×400 relays and the women’s 800 metres, all of which the US had a good chance to win.

Amusan’s was the second world record broken at the championships. Two days earlier, American Sydney McLaughlin ran 50.68 to break her own mark in the women’s 400 hurdles.