Tobi Amusan Wins Nigeria’s First Gold at 2026 African Athletics Championships in Ghana

Tobi Amusan claimed gold in the women’s 100 metres hurdles at the 2026 African Athletics Championships in Accra, Ghana, winning her third African title in the event and giving Nigeria its first gold medal at this year’s championships.

The world record holder won the final ahead of Ghana’s Evonne Britton, delivering exactly the kind of performance Nigerian athletics fans had been waiting for since the competition opened. For Amusan, it is another entry in what is now an unmatched hurdles record on the continent.

Three Times African Champion

Amusan set the 100m hurdles world record at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon. Since then she has carried the weight of Nigerian track and field expectations at every major championship. In Accra she delivered again — and the fact that she has now done it three times at African level says something about the gap between her and the rest of the continent’s hurdlers.

The victory beat back a strong challenge from the home crowd’s favourite, Evonne Britton of Ghana, who finished second. Nigeria also had representation in the mixed relay events, and Amusan’s gold gives the contingent momentum heading into the remaining days of competition.

Nigeria Opens Its Gold Account

The timing matters. Nigeria arrived in Accra without certainty about its gold medal prospects in the early rounds, and it was Amusan — not for the first time — who broke the drought. Her win puts Nigeria on the board at a championships where Ghana, South Africa, and other continental powerhouses are always fighting for the top of the medal table.

Other Nigerian athletes remain in contention across disciplines, and the camp’s mood is likely to shift with a gold already secured.

What Comes Next

For Amusan, the African Championships gold is confirmation that she remains the continent’s dominant hurdler. At 27, she has competed at the Olympics, World Championships, and Commonwealth Games with distinction. The 2026 World Athletics Championships will likely be the next major target on her calendar — and on current form, she goes in as one of the favourites to medal.

Sources: Premium Times, Punch, Pulse Sports