Amusan wins first 100-meter hurdles title for Nigeria, Thomas-Dodd improves on own Jamaican shot put record to deny Adams fourth Commonwealth crown

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Danniel Thomas-Dodd had already captured a shot put gold medal for Jamaica on the global stage.

For Tobi Amusan, her 100-meter hurdles victory at the Commonwealth Games could be the first of many medals for Nigeria in her career.

The reigning NCAA Division 1 outdoor champions continued the promising starts to their professional careers Friday by capturing titles at Carrara Stadium in Gold Coast, Australia.

Thomas-Dodd, the defending IAAF World Outdoor gold medalist, improved on her own Jamaican national shot put record with a fifth-round effort of 63 feet, 6.25 inches (19.36m) to take over the world lead and deny New Zealand’s Valerie Adams a fourth consecutive Commonwealth Games title.

Adams, 33, was participating in her first competition since giving birth to her daughter Kimoana Josephine Adams-Price in October. The two competitors were even at 61-4.25 (18.70m) entering the fifth round, before Thomas-Dodd improved on her own national record of 62-10 (19.15m) when she won the NCAA crown in her final championship meet for Kent State.

Amusan, who won the Division 1 title last season for UTEP, clocked 12.68 seconds to secure the first Commonwealth Games title in the event for Nigeria and prevail against 2015 world champion Danielle Williams of Jamaica. Williams ran 12.78 and Yanique Thompson took bronze for Jamaica in 12.97.

Amusan, whose personal best is 12.57 from last year’s NCAA semifinals, just missed the meet record 12.65 set in 2006 by Jamaica’s Brigitte Foster-Hylton.

Amusan secured the first gold of the meet for her country after Blessing Okagbare-Ighoteguonor swept the women’s 100 and 200 titles in 2014 in Glasgow, Scotland, with Ese Brume prevailing in the women’s long jump four years ago for Nigeria.