Tobi Amusan: Blanking Hope for Olympic Podium

After disappointing outings at the Rio edition of the Olympic Games in 2016 and Tokyo in 2020, Amusan was confident she could finally make it to the podium of the biggest sporting fiesta in Paris. With Nigerian athletes falling like pack of cards in Paris and another medal hopeful, Efe Brume failing to make it to the podium in the women’s long jump final after placing fifth, all eyes were on Tobi Amusan for a realistic chance Nigeria’s name appears on the medals table at the 2024 Olympic Games, but it was not to be as she failed to make the final of the 100m hurdles yesterday writes Kunle Adewale

After more than two weeks of action-packed sport, Paris is preparing for the 2024 Olympics closing ceremony scheduled for the Stade de France tomorrow, yet the most populous black nation in the world-Nigeria, is yet to appear on the biggest sporting fiesta’s medals table and the last athlete for a medal hope, Tobi Amusan, failed to qualify for today’s 100m hurdles final. 

The 27-year-old, who filed out in lane six of the first heat of the event, yesterday, placed third in the semi-finals of women 100m hurdle with a time of 12.55 seconds, behind United States’ Alayasha Johnson and Bahmas’ Devynne Charlton, who returned with a time 12:39 seconds and 12:50 seconds respectively.

The current world champion and world record holder’s failure to qualify for today’s final summed up Nigeria’s underwhelming performance in the games as the 27-year-old was Nigeria’s last hope for a medal in the Paris Olympics, which comes to a close.

The Ogun State-born hurdler who made a statement in her heat, running a blistering time of 12.49 seconds to advance to the semifinals on Wednesday had expressed she was not under pressure despite being aware that the whole country is looking up to her to salvage what remains of the Games and also the World Record holder.

After failing to make the podium at the Rio edition in 2016 and Tokyo in 2020, Amusan was confident she can finally make her mark at the Paris Olympic Games.

“I mean, God is great,” Amusan had said in an interview after the race in her heat. “My third Olympics, and the goal is to come out here and execute each round. I think I did a pretty decent job, and my coach is going to be mad at me as usual…not finishing through the line but I just felt like we have three rounds and I just need to know where I am taking it quite easy and see how fast I can go when I like really press.”

Amusan has consistently dominated the 100m hurdles event, claiming gold medals at the World Championship, Commonwealth Games, African Championship, African Games, and Diamond League.

However, an Olympic medal has remained elusive, with her closest attempt being a fourth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics.

Despite being the World Record holder, Amusan says she feels no pressure.

“You just said I’m the world record holder, there’s no pressure on me. I mean, it comes with it, but I just act like an underdog coming into every race and just have fun with it,” she had said.

Meanwhile, as if to compound the country’s bad day at the Games yesterday, the wild jubilation that greeted the qualification of Team Nigeria’s 4x400m men’s relay team for the final at the Paris Olympic Games was cut short following the disqualification of the quartet of Emmanuel Ojeli, Ezekiel Nathaniel, Dubem Amene and Chidi Okezie despite finishing in heat 2 with a Season’s Best time of 2:59.81.

The Nigerian relay team was disqualified for violating World Athletics’ competition rule 17.2.3, which states that each athlete must stay within their allocated lane from start to finish and not step or run on or inside the left-hand lane line or kerb when running on a bend.

Lead-off runner Ojeli’s violation of the rule resulted in the team’s disqualification, and their spot in the final has been awarded to South Africa.

Interestingly, for administrative negligence on the part of Athletics Federation of Nigeria, (AFN), Annette Echikunwoke’s silver medal would have counted for Nigeria rather than for United States.

When Echikunwoke, draped in an American flag, celebrated her silver medal in the women’s hammer throw at Paris 2024 there was a feeling of vindication mixed with the history she had made.

But for those watching in Nigeria, it was a case of what might have been.

Africa’s most populous country is still waiting for its first medal at the Olympic Games, and Echikunwoke could have been competing in green and white but for an administrative oversight by the AFN. Instead, the 28-year-old became the first American woman to win an Olympic medal in the hammer.

“I am so glad to be able to have what I experienced here in Paris and to be able to come away with a medal,” she said.

“Being with the US, feeling cared for as an athlete, I really performed on top of my game.”

Echikunwoke, who was born in Ohio and holds dual American-Nigerian citizenship, was set to represent the country of her parents at Tokyo 2020.

She had broken the African record in qualification on what was her first trip to Nigeria, but was ruled ineligible to compete after arriving in the Japanese capital.

She was not alone, as the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) ruled that 10 Nigerian athletes were unable to take part because of non-compliance with out-of-competition drug testing requirements in the run-up to the Games.

For Echikunwoke the sense of shock was akin to a “fever dream”.

“On my 25th birthday, I was officially informed that I cannot compete at the Tokyo Olympics due to the negligence of the federation I was set to compete for,” she said in a message posted on Instagram.

“I can’t even begin to explain how heartbroken I am.

“This has been the most mentally and emotionally exhausting time of my life.”

The AFN had failed to comply with a rule which requires athletes to undergo three out-of-competition tests within a 10-month period before a major event.

Echikunwoke said she had provided her whereabouts to the AFN six times in that time frame, but no-one came to test her in the USA.

“The AFN bears responsibility for any lapses that may have occurred during the process,” a statement by the organisation said.

“A few athletes in the American collegiate system were tested, but those tests were deemed not to have complied with World Anti-Doping Agency sample collection and analysis standards.”

But, for Echikunwoke, the possibility of representing Nigeria was over.

Instead, she decided that her future was with the country of her birth.

Today, Echikunwoke stands proud, having moved on from the chapter of her career where she could have competed under the flag of Nigeria.

“I knew there was always more, even from that time,” she said.

“I’ve forgiven the past and we just move forward.”

A representative of Nigeria’s sports minister would not be drawn on her success.

“We are focusing on our own athletes now, not the one that has gone to represent another country,” the spokesperson told BBC Sport Africa.

While Echikunwoke targets further major honours and more celebrations with the Stars and Stripes, Nigeria is still waiting to get onto the medal table in Paris.

Nigeria’s athletes now have just today to avoid being left with a sour taste of their own, as they look on enviously at someone who could have been a team-mate but for an administrative oversight.

With the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles   slated for 2028 of which Amusan would have turned 31, her hope of ever making the Olympics podium may end up a mirage.