Diamond League: Tobi Amusan fails in Brussels

Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan finished fourth in the women’s 100-meter hurdles at the 2026 Wanda Diamond League final in Brussels, Belgium, after clocking 12.54 seconds in a highly competitive race won by American Olympic champion Masai Russell.

Amusan, the event’s former world record holder, had the same time as the Netherlands’ Nadine Visser, who placed fifth after the two athletes were separated by a photo finish. Project reports

Russell captured the Diamond League Trophy after crossing the finish line in 12.20 seconds, continuing his remarkable dominance in the event.

Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas finished second in 12.33 seconds, while Megan Simmonds of Jamaica completed the podium in 12.43 seconds.

The final in Brussels brought together eight of the leading hurdlers on the Diamond League circuit and provided another important test for Amusan at the end of the 2026 season.

Amusan narrowly misses the podium

Amusan’s 12.54 seconds was not enough to secure a place on the podium, but the Nigerian was involved in a tough battle with Visser for fourth position.

Both athletes were credited with exactly the same time, forcing officials to rely on photo finishes to determine their finishing positions.

The result means Amusan narrowly missed out on a top-three finish despite running under 12.60 seconds in a field full of world-class competitors.

His performance also underlined his continued competitiveness among the world’s elite hurdlers, even as a new generation of athletes continues to challenge his long-standing dominance in the event.

Amusan has remained one of Nigeria’s most accomplished track and field athletes, having won the Diamond League 100 meters hurdles title three consecutive times in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Russell continues his remarkable run

For Russell, the Brussels victory capped another outstanding Diamond League season.

The American crossed the finish line in 12.20 seconds to claim the Diamond Trophy, extending a remarkable run that has seen her dominate the event all season.

According to the results of the Brussels final, Russell had won all seven of his Diamond League races in 2026 before Saturday’s final, making his victory another emphatic statement of his current form.

Her latest triumph came just days after she stunned the athletics world in Zurich by setting a new world record in the women’s 100 meters hurdles of 12.09 seconds.

That performance saw Russell beat Amusan’s previous world record of 12.12 seconds, which the Nigerian had set at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene.

Russell subsequently arrived in Brussels as the overwhelming favorite and justified that status by securing another victory.

From world record holder to fierce challenger

The changing balance of power in women’s hurdles has given Amusan a new challenge.

For much of the past few seasons, the Nigerian has been one of the athletes dictating the pace to the rest of the pack. Her world record of 12.12 seconds in 2022 established her as the fastest woman ever over hurdles at the time.

He followed that achievement with a Diamond League hat-trick and continued to maintain his position among the sport’s top athletes.

Russell’s recent world record performance, however, has changed the conversation around the event.

The American’s 12.09-second run in Zurich placed her at the top of the all-time list and added another layer to what has become one of the most competitive events in world athletics. Reuters reported after the Zurich race that Russell believed he had reached a new level and was capable of going even faster.

Amusan is still among the best in the world
Despite missing the podium in Brussels, Amusan remains one of the most decorated hurdlers of her generation.

The Nigerian has won World Championships, Commonwealth Games and African Championships titles, while also establishing herself as a regular contender on the Diamond League circuit.

Her consistency at the highest level has made her one of the most recognizable names in Nigerian athletics.

Amusan’s fourth-place finish in Brussels also came against a field that included many of the strongest hurdlers currently competing internationally.

Russell won gold, Charlton took silver and Simmonds finished third, while Visser finished fifth after losing the photo finish to Amusan.

Poland’s Pia Skrzyszowska finished sixth in 12.64 seconds, followed by American Alaysha Johnson in 12.66, while Belgium’s Yaríla Ndjip-Nyemeck came eighth in 12.93 seconds.

The Diamond League season ends in Brussels

The Brussels meeting concluded the 2026 Diamond League season, with athletes competing for the prestigious Diamond Trophy and the opportunity to finish the season on a high.

The final was also an important preparation for the World Athletics Championships scheduled to take place in Budapest next week.

The competition in Brussels featured many of the biggest names in world athletics, with athletes using the meeting as their last major test before turning their attention to Budapest.

World Athletics had highlighted Russell among the key stars returning to action in Brussels following his record-breaking performance in Zurich.

Another great challenge awaits Amusan

For Amusan, fourth place offers another opportunity to gauge his progress against the world’s best as he prepares for the next phase of the season.

Although she failed to secure another podium in the Diamond League in Brussels, her 12.54 seconds proved that she is still capable of competing at a high level.

The Nigerian will now turn her attention to the next big challenge in the athletics calendar, with the World Athletics Championships in Budapest offering another opportunity to test herself against Russell and the rest of the global elite.

With Russell now holding the world record and enjoying exceptional form, Amusan faces perhaps one of the most significant challenges of his career.

But the Nigerian has repeatedly shown that she knows how to react when expectations are high.

Her fourth place in Brussels may not have given her the Diamond Trophy, but it keeps her firmly among the top names in the women’s 100 meters hurdles as the 2026 season enters its final stretch.