On a hot July evening in Eugene, Oregon in 2022, Oluwatobiloba Ayomide Amusan did something no Nigerian — indeed no African — had ever done in an athletics event. She won gold at the World Athletics Championships in the 100 metres hurdles, setting a world record of 12.12 seconds in the semi-final. In that single race, she became not just a champion but a first: the first Nigerian world champion and world record holder in athletics history. “Don’t let anyone talk fear into your dreams,” she said in May 2026 after winning her third African Championships gold medal in Accra, Ghana. “When I started hurdling, I heard a lot of people say no African could succeed in the event. And now the world record holder is me.” That confidence is entirely earned
Tobi Amusan Biography
| Full Name | Oluwatobiloba Ayomide Amusan |
|---|---|
| Nickname | Tobi Amusan |
| Date of Birth | April 23, 1997 |
| Age | 29 years old (as of 2026) |
| Birthplace | Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, Nigeria |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (167 cm) |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Education | MA, Leadership Studies and Sports Management, UTEP (2023) |
| Occupation | Professional Track and Field Athlete |
| Net Worth | Estimated $1–3 million (not publicly confirmed) |
| Parents | Kehinde Amusan (father, teacher); Mrs. Amusan (mother, teacher) |
Early Life and Background
Tobi Amusan was born on April 23, 1997, in Ijebu Ode, a historic town in Ogun State, southwestern Nigeria. She is the youngest of three children born to two schoolteachers — her father Kehinde Amusan and her mother, both of whom instilled discipline, academic rigour, and the value of hard work in their children from the start. Her parents initially preferred that she prioritise education over athletics, as is common in many Nigerian households where sport is seen as an uncertain career. But Tobi’s extraordinary natural speed — evident at every inter-school competition she entered — gradually made the case for itself.
She attended Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School in Ijebu Ode, where she began competing in sprinting and hurdle events at local and national competitions. Her talent earned her an athletics scholarship to the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) in the United States — a pathway that would give her access to world-class coaching, training facilities, and competitive exposure that simply did not exist in Nigeria at the time.
Education
Amusan completed her undergraduate studies at UTEP while competing in NCAA athletics, where she won multiple conference titles and became the second UTEP athlete to be named Conference USA Female Track Athlete of the Year as a freshman. Despite the demands of a professional athletics career at the highest level, she earned a Master of Arts degree in Leadership Studies and Sports Management from UTEP in May 2023 — a reminder that her identity extends well beyond the hurdles lane.
Career Journey
Amusan’s professional trajectory has been a steady, almost methodical ascent. She first won the African Junior title in 2015 and won gold at the African Games the same year at just 18. In 2016, she competed at the Rio Olympics, reaching the semi-finals of the 100m hurdles. At the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, she won gold — beating Jamaica’s Danielle Williams to claim the title as the favourite watched from elsewhere. She retained her Commonwealth title in 2022.
In 2021, she became the first Nigerian to win a Diamond League title in the 100m hurdles, breaking the then-African record set by Glory Alozie. She retained the Diamond League title in 2022 and 2023. But the pinnacle came in Eugene, Oregon at the 2022 World Athletics Championships. In the semi-final, Amusan ran 12.12 seconds — a world record. She then won the final to claim gold, becoming Nigeria’s first-ever world champion in athletics. The world record of 12.12 remains unbroken.
Her 2023 season was complicated by a provisional doping ban related to whereabouts failures — missing three drug tests — but a disciplinary tribunal cleared her before the World Championships in Budapest. She finished sixth in Budapest but retained her Diamond League title for a third consecutive year. In May 2026, she won her third African Championships gold medal in Accra, Ghana, with World Athletics President Sebastian Coe personally presenting the medal — a recognition of her extraordinary continental dominance.
Personal Life
Tobi Amusan keeps her personal life private and has not publicly disclosed details of romantic relationships. She is a Christian who has spoken about faith as a grounding influence. She is close friends with fellow Nigerian athlete Ese Brume — the pair shared a memorable embrace at the 2022 World Championships, both having won medals on the same night, draped in Nigerian flags. She is deeply committed to mentoring young athletes and has spoken repeatedly about wanting to inspire the next generation of Nigerian girls to pursue athletics without fear.
Net Worth
Amusan’s net worth is not publicly confirmed but is estimated at $1–3 million, derived from prize money (including a reported $170,000 prize for the 2022 World Championship gold), Diamond League winnings, and sponsorship deals. The earnings of elite athletes are notably higher than public perception in many cases, particularly for world record holders with global brand appeal.
What Tobi Amusan Is Known For
She is the world record holder in the 100m hurdles (12.12 seconds), the first Nigerian world champion in athletics, a three-time Diamond League champion, two-time Commonwealth champion, and now a three-time African champion. She is, without qualification, the most decorated Nigerian athlete in track and field history.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Tobi Amusan’s world record?
She set the 100m hurdles world record of 12.12 seconds in the semi-final of the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
Where is Tobi Amusan from?
She was born in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, Nigeria.
Did Tobi Amusan go to university?
Yes. She earned a Master of Arts degree in Leadership Studies and Sports Management from the University of Texas at El Paso in 2023.
What is Tobi Amusan’s parents’ profession?
Both her father Kehinde Amusan and her mother are schoolteachers.
Has Tobi Amusan ever been banned from athletics?
She received a provisional ban in 2023 due to whereabouts failures (missing drug tests), but a disciplinary tribunal cleared her and she returned to competition before the Budapest World Championships.
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