Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan finished second in the women’s 100m hurdles final at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, Hungary, securing a silver medal in another strong performance on the international stage.
Amusan clocked 12.34 seconds in the final on Friday, September 11, finishing behind American Olympic champion Masai Russell, who won the inaugural title in 12.22 seconds. Netherlands’ Nadine Visser completed the podium in 12.39 seconds.
The result earned Amusan $75,000 in prize money, while Russell collected the $150,000 winner’s prize.
Russell Maintains Dominance
Russell entered the Budapest final as the clear favourite after an exceptional 2026 season.
The American had taken control of the event in August when she broke Amusan’s long-standing 100m hurdles world record at the Zurich Diamond League.
Russell clocked 12.09 seconds in Zurich, beating Amusan’s previous world record of 12.12 seconds by three hundredths of a second. The performance was recorded with a legal wind reading of 0.0 metres per second.
Her victory in Budapest extended a remarkable season in which she has consistently finished ahead of the world's leading hurdlers.
World Athletics reported that Russell arrived at the Ultimate Championship having already established herself as the athlete to beat, and she produced another controlled performance to win the inaugural title.
Amusan, meanwhile, ran 12.34 seconds to secure the runner-up position.
Amusan Advances to the Final
Amusan had to work her way through the semi-finals before reaching the championship race.
She finished second in her semi-final in 12.49 seconds, behind Bahamas' Devynne Charlton, who won the heat in 12.45 seconds.
Charlton could not reproduce that performance in the final, eventually finishing fourth in 12.40 seconds.
Amusan's 12.34-second performance in the final represented an improvement on her semi-final time and was enough to place her ahead of Visser and the rest of the field.
The official World Athletics results show that Amusan finished second with a legal wind reading of +0.1 metres per second.
A Strong Finish to a Challenging Season
The silver medal provides Amusan with another major result after a season that has included both significant achievements and setbacks.
The Nigerian entered 2026 as one of the leading figures in women's sprint hurdling. Earlier in the year, she won gold at the African Senior Athletics Championships in Accra, Ghana.
She also produced a season's best of 12.28 seconds at the Diamond League meeting in Xiamen, China, demonstrating that she remained capable of competing at the highest level.
However, the season also saw her long-standing world record fall.
Amusan had held the women's 100m hurdles world record since 2022, when she ran 12.12 seconds in the semi-final of the World Athletics Championships in Oregon.
She then won the world title at the championships. Although she ran 12.06 seconds in the final, that time could not be recognised as a world record because the wind reading of +2.5 metres per second exceeded the allowable limit.
Russell's 12.09-second performance in Zurich ended Amusan's four-year reign as world-record holder.
Amusan Refuses to Be Defined by the Record
Despite losing the world record, Amusan has continued to compete among the world's best hurdlers.
Her silver medal in Budapest represents another indication that the Nigerian remains a major force in the event.
Speaking after the final, Amusan reflected on the physical demands of her season and acknowledged that injuries and other setbacks had affected her campaign.
She said her body had struggled at points during the season but that she remained determined to finish strongly.
Amusan also described her mindset heading into the Budapest final, saying she wanted to give everything she had on the track.
That approach produced a silver medal and a $75,000 reward.
Women's Hurdles Becoming More Competitive
Amusan also acknowledged the increasing competitiveness of the women's 100m hurdles.
The event has developed into one of the most competitive disciplines in athletics, with several athletes capable of producing times close to the 12-second mark.
Russell's emergence has added another dimension to the competition.
The American's Olympic gold medal at Paris 2024 was followed by a series of strong performances in 2026, culminating in the world record in Zurich and victories in major competitions.
Amusan's ability to finish second behind Russell in Budapest nevertheless demonstrates that she remains capable of challenging for major honours.
Visser's third-place finish in 12.39 seconds further underlined the quality of the Budapest final.
Russell Takes Inaugural Ultimate Championship Title
Russell's 12.22-second victory gave her the first women's 100m hurdles title at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship.
The competition, held in Budapest from September 11 to 13, brought together leading athletes across track and field.
Russell's victory capped what has been a highly successful year for the American hurdler.
She had already broken Amusan's world record in Zurich and continued her unbeaten run into the Ultimate Championship.
For Amusan, the silver medal offers a positive conclusion to a demanding season.
Although she did not reclaim the world record or defeat Russell in Budapest, she once again stood on the podium at a major international competition.
Nigeria's Hurdling Star Looks Ahead
At 29, Amusan remains one of Nigeria's most accomplished track and field athletes and one of the leading figures in women's sprint hurdling.
Her career includes a world championship title, a former world record and numerous victories on the international circuit.
The Budapest silver adds another medal to that record.
It also sets up an intriguing future rivalry with Russell, whose rise has transformed the competitive landscape of the event.
Russell now owns the world record, while Amusan remains one of the athletes most capable of challenging her.
With the 2026 season drawing to a close, attention will now turn to the next phase of the women's 100m hurdles.
For Amusan, the task will be to build on her Budapest performance, remain healthy and continue competing at the highest level.
Her second-place finish may not have delivered another major title, but it confirmed that Nigeria's sprint hurdling star remains firmly among the world's elite.
