Why wasn't Tobi Amusan handed the win despite clocking the fastest time at Shanghai Diamond League 2024? Everything about women's 100m hurdles drama

Tobi Amusan’s disqualification added some more drama to an already exciting women's 100m hurdles finals at the Shanghai Diamond League. Outside of the Nigerian's disqualification, the event saw multiple delays and a photo finish to top it all off.

Going into this race in China, the depth of the field was promising. The entry list for the event included 60m hurdles world-record holder Devynne Charlton, defending Diamond League champion Tobi Amusan, and reigning Olympic Champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn amongst others.

As the nine competitors lined up at the Shanghai Stadium, fans steeled themselves in anticipation of an enthralling race. However, there was some confusion when the starting pistol went off, with 100m hurdles world-record holder Amusan being disqualified for a false start.

The Nigerian chose to challenge the referee's decision, deciding to run under protest. Unfortunately, athletes soon ran into another delay, with crowd noise forcing a later start.

Once the race got going, it was Amusan who crossed the finish line first, clocking a magnificent 12.60. However, the three-time Diamond League champion's protest was unsuccessful, and she was disqualified from the race and stripped of her win.

In her absence, it was Puerto Rican Jasmine Camacho-Quinn who took the win owing to her 12.63 run. Hot on her tail was Bahamian Devynne Charlton with a 12.64, as reigning World Champion Danielle Williams finished third with a 12.74.

Tobi Amusan pushed down to seventh in Diamond League standings

2024 has gotten off to a shaky start for Tobi Amusan, as the Nigerian has now fallen to seventh in the Diamond League rankings for the year.

Amusan kicked off her DL campaign at the opening meet taking place in Xiamen earlier in April. The 27-year-old finished fifth over there, taking the same spot in the rankings with four points.

Now, her disqualification in Shanghai means that she walks away from the meet with zero points. With this, both American Masai Russel and Swiss hurdler Ditaji Kambundji have overtaken her in the rankings. The only individual currently ranked below Amusan is Jamaican Megan Tapper, although even she has narrowed down the gap between the two from three points to a singular point.

Tobi Amusan was first crowned the Diamond League in 2021, becoming the first Nigerian athlete to lay claim to the trophy. A year later, she defended her title successfully, on the back of a year that saw her claim a World Championship as well as a Commonwealth Games gold medal. The hurdler won her third DL title in 2023, after yet another stunning performance.

This time around, in order to try and defend her title for a historic fourth time, Amusan will have to get back in the top six before the winner-takes-all Diamond League Finals.