Nigeria star Tobi Amusan has been ranked as the fifth best female athlete for the year 2022 by the World Athletics.
The reigning World, Commonwealth, and African champion is one of three Africans that make up the top ten of the newly released ranking; Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia and Faith Kipyegon of Kenya are the other two Africans.
The World Athletics ranks the athletes with the help of a scoring system that gives each athlete points according to their performances during the calendar year.
The 25-year-old Hurdler capped off 2021 as the first Nigerian to win a Diamond League trophy when she won the Zurich Diamond League final event, with a new African record of 12.42 s, breaking the 23-year-old record of fellow Nigerian Glory Alozie (12.44 s)
She started the 2022 season in June by defending her 100-meter hurdles title at the African Championships in Mauritius with a time of 12.57 seconds before clinching another victory at the Diamond League in Paris with a time of 12.41 seconds, lowering her African record.
Amusan could not be prouder of her performances as the season continued at the World Athletics Championships in July. She bettered her African record in the heats with a time of 12.40 seconds before setting a new world record in the semifinal with a time of 12.12 seconds, shattering the previous record set in 2016 by American hurdler Kendra Harrison.
In the final of the championships, the Nigerian went a step further with a time of 12.06 seconds. Although it was not a legal world record due to the 2.5 m/s wind assistance, she won the event to become Nigeria’s first-ever champion at the World Athletics Championships and also the first Nigerian to be a world record holder in any athletics event.
At the 2022 Commonwealth Games in August, she went into the hurdles event as the favourite and she did not disappoint, defending her title with a second consecutive gold medal while setting a new Games record with a time of 12.30s. She also won the gold medal while participating in the 4 x 100-meter relay, showing her versatility.
Amusan brought her eventful and successful 2022 season to a close by retaining her title with a win at the Zürich Diamond League final event, setting a new meet record with a time of 12.29 seconds. She finished ahead of Lolo Jones, Britany Anderson, and reigning Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn.
The female athletes ranked above Amusan are Jamaicans Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Sharicka Jackson; Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela; and the newly crowned Female World Athlete of the Year, Sydney McLaughlin of the United States.
