The world record holder in the women’s 100m hurdles is expected to begin her 2026 Diamond League season in Shanghai just days after representing Nigeria at the African Senior Athletics Championships in Accra, Ghana.
Amusan will spearhead Nigeria’s team at the continental competition, where she remains one of the country’s strongest medal prospects. The 28-year-old is scheduled to compete in the women’s 100m hurdles on the opening day of the championships before potentially returning for the final on Wednesday.
Her participation in Ghana adds another chapter to an already remarkable legacy at the African Championships. Over the years, Amusan has established herself as one of the competition’s most decorated athletes.
At the 2018 championships in Asaba, she claimed gold in both the women’s 100m hurdles and the 4x100m relay. She repeated the double feat at the 2022 edition in Mauritius, winning another hurdles title and relay gold, before helping Nigeria secure an additional relay gold medal at the 2024 championships in Douala.
Once her assignment in Ghana is completed, Amusan will quickly shift attention to the opening meet of the 2026 Diamond League season in Shanghai/Keqiao on Saturday.
The event is expected to feature one of the strongest women’s sprint hurdles line-ups in recent years, with several world and Olympic champions confirmed for the race.
Amusan, whose incredible 12.12 seconds world record remains the fastest performance ever recorded in the event, will go head-to-head with a star-studded field that includes reigning world champion Ditaji Kambundji, Olympic gold medallist Masai Russell, Jamaican world champion Danielle Williams, and Bahamian star Devynne Charlton.
Also expected in the race are Ackera Nugent, Tonea Marshall, Megan Simmonds, and China’s Wu Yanni.
The meeting is already generating excitement among athletics fans because it will feature the two fastest women in history over the distance. Amusan’s world record of 12.12s narrowly places her ahead of Masai Russell, who owns a personal best of 12.17s.
Meanwhile, Kambundji enters the season in strong form after clocking a Swiss record 12.24s to win the world title in Tokyo last year.
The Shanghai/Keqiao event will officially launch the 2026 Diamond League season, which is scheduled to conclude with a two-day final in Brussels on September 4 and 5.
Beyond the hurdles showdown, the season opener is expected to attract several global athletics superstars. Among the headline names are Kenyan middle-distance legend Faith Kipyegon, sprint stars Shericka Jackson and Sha'Carri Richardson, Olympic champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo, and Bahraini quarter-miler Salwa Eid Naser.
For Amusan, the coming weeks present an opportunity not only to defend her reputation as one of the world’s elite hurdlers, but also to continue inspiring Nigerian athletics on both continental and global stages.