Tobi Amusan, the world record holder in the 100m hurdles, will not be running in her signature event at the Racers Grand Prix in Kingston, Jamaica, on Saturday (today). Instead, she will compete in the women’s 100m A Final.

The 27-year-old Nigerian sprinter will face a strong lineup including Jamaica’s Tia and Tina Clayton, Kemba Nelson, Ashanti Moore, and Alana Reid, alongside American athletes Mikiah Brisco and Jacious Sears, in what is expected to be a fiercely contested race at the National Stadium.

Amusan was initially slated to run in the Women’s 100m B Final but was later upgraded to the elite A Final, officially titled the Championship Sponsored by KFC.

She enters the race with a season-best time of 11.28 seconds, set during the Velocity Fest 16 in Kingston back in March, where she ran 11.41s in her heat before improving in the final. That event marked her first 100m flat race of the year.

Today’s race will be her second 100m flat sprint of the season and her third since April 2024. Her last outing over the distance was at the Tom Jones Memorial in Gainesville, Florida, where she clocked 11.26s to finish third—just a year after setting her personal best of 11.10s on the same track.

Amusan’s increasing focus on flat sprints suggests a possible career transition. In November 2024, she relocated to Kingston to train at the famed Racers Track Club under the guidance of renowned coach Glen Mills, whose trainees include legends like Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake. Explaining her decision to shift from the U.S. to Jamaica, Amusan said it stemmed from a desire to tap into her sprinting potential.

“I believe I’m naturally more of a sprinter than a hurdler, and I didn’t want to let that go unused,” she explained. “My coach, Lacena Golding-Clarke, and I had that conversation after the Olympics. We assessed all the options and concluded that Racers Track Club was the best fit.”

Since the move, she has embraced her new training environment and praised Mills for his personalized approach.

“Coach Mills’ methods are quite similar to what I’ve been used to. I’m a delicate athlete—I can’t endure intense training every day—so I need a coach who understands that,” she said.

Despite facing a minor training setback earlier this year, Amusan says she is gradually regaining top form.

“I’m taking it one step at a time. There was a small hiccup in training, but things are getting better, and I’m excited for the rest of the season,” she added.

Her shift from hurdles to the 100m has attracted considerable attention in athletics circles as she continues to test her speed in open sprint races.

“I’ve raced at the Racers Grand Prix twice before and remained unbeaten,” Amusan noted. “The energy from the fans is always electric, and it motivates us. Hopefully, we’ll have a full stadium again.”

In a related development, Nigerian sprint sensation Favour Ofili has withdrawn from the 2025 Racers Grand Prix, despite earlier being named one of the event’s top attractions. The meet is organized by Racers Track Club founder Glen Mills.