Tobi Amusan Clocks Season-Best 11.18s in Jamaica, Signals Sprint Progress

Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan recorded her fastest 100m time of the season, clocking 11.18 seconds (1.8m/s) at the Racers Grand Prix in Kingston, Jamaica, a World Athletics Continental Tour Silver event held early Sunday.

Competing before a crowd of 15,000, Amusan finished fourth in a stacked women’s sprint final where all top four athletes set season-best times. The top two—Jamaica’s Tina Clayton and the USA’s Jacious Sears—not only claimed podium spots but also secured qualification standards for the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.

Running out of lane two for Racers Track Club, Amusan had a reaction time of 0.198s and finished just behind Jamaican teen sensation Alana Garren Reid (11.16s). The Nigerian star’s performance was a significant improvement on her previous season’s best of 11.28s, recorded in March at Velocity Fest. This was only her second 100m flat race of the season and her third over the distance in the last 14 months as she gradually incorporates more sprint races into her training alongside her signature 100m hurdles.

The race was won by Jamaica’s Tina Clayton, who crossed the line in a blistering 10.98s from lane three, reacting in 0.179s. “The last time I was this nervous, I ran 10.9, so I knew the performance would be good,” Clayton said after the race. She was followed closely by Sears, who posted 11.04s from lane four with the field’s fastest reaction time of 0.158s.

Reid, born in 2005, impressed with her 11.16s third-place finish from lane one, narrowly edging Amusan. Tia Clayton, twin sister of the race winner, rounded out the top five in 11.24s.

Since relocating to Jamaica in November 2024 to train under renowned coach Glen Mills at Racers Track Club, Amusan has steadily improved her flat sprint times. Her shift from the United States is believed to be driven by a desire to refine her sprinting form and integrate more speed into her hurdling technique.

She began her 2024 sprint campaign with 11.41s in the Velocity Fest heats, followed by 11.28s in the final. At the Tom Jones Memorial in Florida, she ran 11.26s for third place. Her latest time of 11.18s marks her fastest since clocking a personal best of 11.10s in Florida last year.

Other Highlights from the Racers Grand Prix:

Men’s 100m: Olympic silver medallist Kishane Thompson blazed to victory in 9.88s (0.0m/s), with Oblique Seville close behind at 9.97s. South Africans Gift Leotlela (10.04s) and Bayanda Walaza (10.06s) finished third and fourth respectively.

Men’s 110m Hurdles: Jamaica’s Rasheed Broadbell edged American Trey Cunningham 13.06 to 13.08 (0.7m/s), marking his third win in their five head-to-head finals.

Women’s 100m Hurdles: USA’s Alia Armstrong equaled the meet record with 12.54s (1.1m/s), while Devynne Charlton of The Bahamas followed in 12.65s—a season-best.

Women’s 200m: World champion Shericka Jackson took gold in 22.53s (1.0m/s), her best time this season.

Men’s 200m: Jamaican champion Bryan Levell lived up to expectations, storming to victory in 19.79s.