World record holder Tobi Amusan lit up the track on Friday night with a jaw-dropping performance at the 2025 Paris Diamond League, blazing to a season’s best of 12.24 seconds to secure a hard-fought second place in the women’s 100m hurdles.
The scintillating time ranks as Amusan’s second-fastest ever, just behind her legendary 12.12s world record set at the 2022 World Championships in Oregon.
In a race packed with firepower, Amusan surged from behind with her signature closing speed, applying pressure down the home stretch. But it was Grace Stark of the United States who held her nerve and her stride, storming out of the blocks to clinch victory in a personal best and meeting record of 12.21s. That blistering performance now places Stark as the fifth-fastest woman in history over the 100m hurdles.
Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent also delivered fireworks, racing to third place in an impressive 12.30s, rounding out one of the most thrilling hurdle showdowns of the season.
A Season of Redemption and Rising Form
Amusan’s 2025 campaign didn’t begin with fireworks. She opened the season with a fourth-place finish in Xiamen (12.74s) and followed with another fourth in Shaoxing (12.66s). But true to her champion spirit, the Nigerian star rebounded in spectacular fashion, clinching her first Diamond League victory of the year in Rabat, where she clocked 12.45s, a meet record.
Now in her fourth Diamond League outing of the season, the Paris performance marks a turning point in Amusan’s season—a clear signal that she’s rounding into form with major championships looming.
The Paris showdown brought together a loaded field: world silver medallist Keni Harrison, Jamaica’s rising sensation Ackera Nugent, Poland’s agile Pia Skrzyszowska, Dutch champion Nadine Visser, the Bahamas’ Devynne Charlton, and current Diamond League leader Grace Stark. Against such depth and pedigree, Amusan proved once again that she belongs among the world’s elite.
Currently, Amusan sits fourth in the Diamond League standings with 10 points, trailing only Stark (23), Danielle Williams (15), and Marione Fourie (12).
With the World Championships fast approaching, Amusan’s timing couldn’t be more perfect. Her steady resurgence, tactical precision, and raw speed suggest she is building toward something monumental.
The chase for gold—and possibly another record-breaking feat—is officially back on.
Tobi Amusan is not just back. She’s coming for the throne.
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