Silver medalist Tobi Amusan from Nigeria stood tall on the podium after the women's 100m hurdles final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on September 16, 2025. (Photo by Philip FONG / AFP)
Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan ran her best race of the season as Chukwuebuka Enekwechi began his 2026 Diamond League journey at the Xiamen meeting in China on Saturday, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.
Amusan finished with a time of 12.28 seconds in the women’s 100m hurdles at Egret Stadium in Xiamen. This was an improvement from her previous season's best of 12.41 seconds in a tough race against top hurdlers from around the world.
She came second, trailing world leader Masai Russell, who won the race in 12.14 seconds. This race showed just how competitive the event is on the global stage.
In this same race, Devynne Charlton from The Bahamas took third place with 12.37 seconds. Megan Simmonds of Jamaica, Ditaji Kambundji from Switzerland, and Ackera Nugent all followed, while Danielle Williams finished seventh in a close race.
Amusan entered the meeting looking to make a strong impact early in the season after winning her recent African championship title and placing at the Shanghai Diamond League. Her performance in Xiamen marked a big step forward in her season.
Russell's finish time brings her closer to the world 100m hurdles record. Her time of 12.14 seconds is just two hundredths of a second shy of the 12.12 seconds record set by Amusan in Oregon in 2022.
Russell is now second on the all-time list with her 12.17 seconds from Miramar last year. She improved her time by 0.03 seconds, setting a North American and Diamond League record while leaving a tough field behind.
In the men's shot put, Enekwechi began his Diamond League season with a fifth-place finish in a strong field filled with world-class competitors. This marks the start of his quest for qualification points for the league’s final.
The African record holder wants to secure his third straight appearance in the final. He managed a best throw of 21.14 metres as he aims to build his form throughout the 2026 season.
Rajindra Campbell from Jamaica won the event with a throw of 22.34 metres. He was followed by Jordan Geist from the United States and world record holder Ryan Crouser. Tom Walsh from New Zealand finished in sixth place.
Enekwechi faced tough competition, with many athletes capable of throwing over 22 metres. He has a personal best of 21.74 metres and an African record of 22.10 metres. Enekwechi will be looking to improve his distances in future meetings as he pushes for Diamond League final qualification.
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