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By Monica Iheakam
New World champion and record holder, Tobi Amusan says she wasn’t expecting a world record even though her goal was to get to the medals zone.
Amusan stormed to a historic victory in the 100m women hurdles finals at the just concluded World Championship in Eugene, Oregon, breaking the world record in 12.06s to become the first Nigerian and African to win a hurdles gold ever.
“The goal was to come out and to win this gold,” Amusan told worldathletics.org.
“I just did it. Honestly, I believe in my abilities but I was not expecting a world record at the championships. You know, the goal is always just to execute well and get the win.
“So the world record is a bonus. I knew I had it in me but I could not believe it when I saw it on the screen after the semis. But it was just a matter of time.”
For her new world record, Amusan took home a whooping sum of $170,000 (about N72, 075,678.60) in what has been a spectacular World Athletics Championship for her.
She was rewarded with a sum of $70,000 for winning gold at the event and $100,000 for her 12:12 World Record feat.
The $100,000 is from world’s leading electronic components and devices company, TDK Corporation, who proudly funded the women’s world record programme at World Athletics Championships.
Meanwhile,world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt, has congratulated the Nigerian athletic star on her performance in the ongoing World Athletic championship.
Quoting a tweet confirming Tobi’s win at the semis by the World Athletics official page, Bolt lauded the champion.
“Congrats,” he tweeted with emoticons of the Nigerian flag and applauses.
