World record holder Tobi Amusan has withdrawn from the women’s 100m hurdles at the Diamond League Final in Zurich.
Her absence means Nigeria will be represented by just two athletes at the season-ending meet, with Ezekiel Nathaniel and Udodi Onwuzurike set to compete for honours on Thursday.
Amusan, a three-time Diamond League champion, had been chasing a fourth crown but will not line up at the Letzigrund Stadium. The 28-year-old has been replaced by Bahamian Devynne Charlton, the reigning World Indoor 60m hurdles champion.
Attention will now turn to Nathaniel and Onwuzurike, who will carry Nigeria’s hopes in the men’s 400m hurdles and 200m, respectively.
Nathaniel has enjoyed a breakthrough year, repeatedly shattering the national record — including his current mark of 47.31 seconds set in Silesia. The 22-year-old also claimed his first Diamond League victory in Lausanne and secured his spot in the Zurich final following the withdrawals of Olympic champion Rai Benjamin and season leader Alison dos Santos.
Onwuzurike, meanwhile, faces a formidable field in the men’s 200m, featuring Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo, world champion Noah Lyles and Dominican star Alexander Ogando. He booked his place in the final after a third-place finish in Brussels, clocking 20.29s, and has already sealed qualification for the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo via the world rankings.
