Nigeria’s sprint hurdles star Tobi Amusan produced her fastest performance of the season as compatriot Chukwuebuka Enekwechi began his 2026 Diamond League campaign at the Xiamen meeting in China on Saturday, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Amusan clocked 12.28 seconds in the women’s 100m hurdles at the Egret Stadium in Xiamen, improving on her previous season’s best of 12.41 seconds in a high-quality race featuring some of the world’s leading hurdlers.
The Nigerian finished second behind world leader Masai Russell, who won in 12.14s, in a race that underlined the depth of competition in the event on the global circuit.
In the same race, Devynne Charlton of The Bahamas placed third in 12.37s, ahead of Megan Simmonds of Jamaica, Ditaji Kambundji of Switzerland and Ackera Nugent, while Danielle Williams finished seventh in a tightly contested final.
Amusan had gone into the meeting seeking another strong early-season statement after her recent African championship title and their place finish at Shanghai Diamond League, and her result in Xiamen represented a significant step forward in her campaign.
Russell’s finish time put her closer to the world 100m hurdles record, with her 12.14s being just two hundredths of a second off the 12.12 set by Amusan in Oregon in 2022.
Russell already sat second on the world all-time list with 12.17s from Miramar last year, but she consolidated that position by going 0.03 quicker with a North American and Diamond League record that saw her leave a sensational field in her wake.
In the men’s shot put, Enekwechi opened his Diamond League season with a fifth-place finish in a competitive field dominated by world-class throwers, marking the start of his push for qualification points towards the league’s final.
The African record holder, who entered the season aiming to secure a third consecutive appearance in the final, registered a best throw of 21.14 metres as he looks to build form across the 2026 circuit.
The event was won by Rajindra Campbell of Jamaica with 22.34m, ahead of Jordan Geist of the United States and world record holder Ryan Crouser, while Tom Walsh of New Zealand finished sixth.
Enekwechi’s outing also came against the backdrop of a strong field that included multiple athletes capable of surpassing 22 metres.
The Nigerian, who holds a personal season’s best of 21.74 metres and an African record of 22.10 metres, will be targeting improved distances in upcoming meetings as he continues his campaign for Diamond League final qualification.
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