Amusan arrives in Ghana with a decorated championship history, having accumulated five gold medals across individual and relay events at previous editions of the competition. Her dominance dates back to the 2018 championships in Asaba, where she claimed both the 100m hurdles and 4x100m relay titles. She repeated the sprint hurdles and relay double in Mauritius in 2022 and later added another relay gold in Douala in 2024.
Although she was expected to defend her 100m hurdles crown in Douala, she did not contest the individual race for personal reasons, opting instead to contribute to Nigeria’s relay success.
The current women’s hurdles field, however, is far from one-dimensional. Liberia’s Ebony Morrison enters as the reigning African champion after setting a championship record of 12.7 seconds in the final, edging out South Africa’s Marione Fourie and Madagascar’s Sidonie Fiadanantsoa. That performance underlined the growing competitiveness of the event across the continent.
Even so, Amusan remains the standout name and favourite on paper, with expectations high that she will once again assert her dominance. Her presence adds significant weight to Nigeria’s medal prospects, especially with teammates also in contention.
Among them is Adaobi Tabugbo, who already has championship experience, finishing fifth in the 100m hurdles at Douala 2024 while also contributing to Nigeria’s relay gold. She enters the competition in strong form, boasting a personal best of 12.87 seconds—one of the fastest times ever recorded by a Nigerian hurdler.
Another Nigerian hopeful, Janet Sunday, represents the emerging generation. Less experienced at senior international level, she will be making her major championship debut after clocking a personal best of 13.67 seconds earlier in the season at the AFN Golden League in Benin. While not among the frontrunners on paper, her inclusion reflects Nigeria’s growing depth in the event.
The women’s 100m hurdles heats are scheduled for 5:30 p.m. local time today, with the final set for the second day at 4:45 p.m., setting up a quick turnaround for athletes navigating one of the championships’ most competitive sprint events.
Beyond the African stage, Amusan’s season will continue almost immediately on the global circuit. Just days after Accra, she is expected to open her 2026 Diamond League campaign in Shanghai, where she will compete in a stacked women’s 100m hurdles field featuring some of the sport’s biggest names.
That line-up includes reigning world champion Ditaji Kambundji, Olympic champion Masai Russell, Jamaican world champion Danielle Williams, and Bahamian star Devynne Charlton—setting the stage for one of the most anticipated early-season clashes in women’s hurdling.
With a personal best of 12.12 seconds still standing as the fastest ever recorded in the event, Amusan remains the benchmark as she transitions from continental dominance to global competition once again.