Former American middle-distance runner Kyle Merber has said that critics who doubted Tobi Amusan after her historic 100m hurdles world record in 2022 owe her an apology, as recent performances suggest her time was fully legitimate.
Amusan made global headlines at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, where she ran 12.12 seconds in the semi-finals to break the previous world record of 12.20 seconds set by American hurdler Kendra Harrison in 2016.
She even went faster in the final, clocking 12.06 seconds, but the time was not ratified due to wind assistance.
At the time, her record-breaking run triggered intense debate in the athletics world. Some high-profile voices — including former sprinter Michael Johnson — questioned whether the performance was realistic, while others speculated about spikes, track conditions, and even doping concerns.
Fast forward to today, and the narrative is shifting.
Recent elite performances, including a 12.14s run by American hurdler Masai Russell at the Xiamen Diamond League, have made Amusan’s record look far more achievable than critics once believed.
Speaking on the CITIUS MAG Podcast, Merber said the backlash against Amusan now appears unfair in hindsight.
“We should collectively apologise to Tobi Amusan… when she ran 12.12s, everyone had opinions… now that times are getting closer, it looks very legitimate.”
He added that at the time, Amusan’s performance shocked the sport because it shattered a record that many thought was almost untouchable.
Since her world title win, Amusan’s career has seen both highs and challenges. She was briefly provisionally suspended in 2023 over missed whereabouts filings but was later cleared to compete at the World Championships in Budapest.
Although she did not defend her title successfully, she remains one of the most consistent elite hurdlers in the world. Her best recent performances include 12.24s in 2025, and a season-best of 12.28s in 2026, alongside another African title victory.
The Bigger Picture (No sugar-coating it)
What’s happening here is classic elite sport psychology:
When someone breaks “the invisible limit,” people don’t question the stopwatch — they question the person.
Now the data is catching up, and suddenly what looked “impossible” is starting to look… normal.
That’s how records die. Not with disbelief forever — but with imitation.
Amusan didn’t just run fast. She shifted the ceiling.
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