Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan has shown no signs of slowing down this season, and was in sublime form at the 111th NYRR Millrose Games held at the Armory in New York on Saturday, February 3rd.
The 2015 African Games Champion comfortably held her own to outclass an elite field comprising of the likes of former Olympic Champion and London 2017 Silver medallist Dawn Harper-Nelson, and Rio 2016 Bronze medallist Kristi Castlin, to win the women’s 60m Hurdles.
Competing for Adidas, Amusan was the woman to beat and only athlete in the field to break 8s as she returned a time of 7.90s, which is just 0.01s off her Personal Best (PB) set in Albuquerque two weeks ago. She was followed by USA’s Castlin (8.02s), while Queen Harrison settled for 3rd place in 8.03s.
Jamaican Monique Morgan (8.09s), reigning 400m Hurdles World Champion Kori Carter (8.10s) and Harper-Nelson (8.18s) placed 4th, 5th and 6th respectively.
Devon Allen won the men’s 60m Hurdles race ahead of World Record (WR) holder Aries Merritt, posting a time of 7.50s while the former Olympic Champion followed in 7.53s. Freddie Crittenden was 3rd in 7.66s.
World No.1 in the women’s 60m, Murielle Ahoure continued her dominance in the event, storming to an impressive time of 7.11s to get one over rival and reigning 100m World Champion Tori Bowie who clocked 7.14s. Javianne Oliver (7.15s) and Dezerea Bryant (7.28s) finished 3rd and 4th respectively.
Nike’s Ronnie Baker raced to victory in the men’s 60m in 6.48s, with Noah Lyles following in 6.59s, leaving China’s Xie Zhenye in 3rd place with 6.59s. Reigning Olympic and World Champion in the 110 Hurdles Omar McLeod was also in the race where he finished 5th in 6.63s, with compatriot Asafa Powell coming 6th in 6.69s.
Women’s 400m Olympic Champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo opened her season with a World Lead (WL) in the women’s 300m where she clocked 35.45s, equaling the indoor WR set by Irina Privalova of Russia in 1993. Sage Watson came a distant 2nd in 37.08s, while Jaide Stepter (37.23s) and Courtney Okolo (37.28s) settled for 3rd and 4th respectively.
Michael Cherry (46.46s), Vernon Norwood (46.75s) and Lalonde Gordon (47.24s) were the Top 3 finishers in the men’s 400m.
One of the major highlights of the 2018 Millrose Games was the historic feat recorded in the women’s 4×800 relays where USA’s quartet of Chrishuna Williams, Raevyn Rogers, Charlene Lipsey and Ajee Wilson smashed the indoor WR in the event, setting a new time of 8:05.89 to eclipse the former record of 8:06.24 set by Russia in 2011.
Is she still a Nigerian? Official result posted by the organizers of Millrose games indicated Tobi Amusan of USA based on that flag put closed to her name, may be it was a mistake, was it deliberate or has she changed nationality the way others have done in the time past?