Retired Nigerian hurdler Henry Amike commended Tobi Amusan on Tuesday for breaking the 25-year-old African record set by another Nigerian, Gloria Alozie, in the 60-meter hurdles.

Amusan finished in 7.77 seconds at the Astana Indoor Meet in Kazakhstan to erase Alozie’s record of 7.82 seconds.

Amike, a former president of the Association of Nigerian Olympians, said in Lagos that the former world champion’s doggedness paid off with the win.

Amusan returned to the track for the first time in 2024 with another blistering performance to set a new African record in the 60m hurdles at the Kazakhstan meet.

”I congratulate Tobi for this win, I applaud her again for proving that she’s world class. Winning is great, but breaking a record is a huge feat, and I commend her for that.

”The beauty of this is the fact that the record was set by a Nigerian, which makes it even more inspiring for other up-and-coming athletes. I believe that with this superlative performance, it can only get better.

”Congratulations to Nigeria. This is a great way to start the year,” he said.

Amike, the silver medalist at the 1989 Barcelona World Cup, said Amusan’s ability to put behind the unfortunate incidents at the 2023 World Athletics Championships was commendable.

”Rising above that to win and break a record is a great feat for her. Most athletes don’t recover from that easily. She’s a gem.

”If I were Alozie, I’d put a call across to congratulate her as that record stood for 25 years. Amusan’s winning streak is iconic,” Amike added. 

(NAN)