Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan, the women’s 100m hurdles world record holder, has slipped to third place in the latest global athletics rankings despite improving her points tally with strong performances at two Diamond League meetings in China, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Amusan raised her ranking points from 1,379 to 1,385 after clocking 12.41 seconds at the Shanghai Diamond League and a season’s best 12.28 seconds at the Xiamen meeting, where she finished second behind American Masai Russell.
Russell’s back-to-back victories at both meetings, however, were enough to propel the Olympic champion to the top of the world rankings. The 26-year-old posted times of 12.25 seconds in Shanghai and a stunning 12.14 seconds in Xiamen — a new United States record that missed Amusan’s world record of 12.12 seconds by just two hundredths. Her points tally rose to 1,391, with American compatriot Grace Stark occupying second place on 1,386 points.
Russell, who sat in fourth place just over a week ago, has emerged as the most significant threat to Amusan’s standing both in the rankings and on the track this season.
Speaking after her Xiamen run, the American made no secret of her ambitions. Related News Joao Fonseca knocks Djokovic out of French Open Champions League final: Arteta urges Arsenal to make history against PSG Premier League data reveals biggest winners, losers from VAR decisions
