Tobi Amusan, the world’s fastest woman in the 100-meter hurdles, has shared the strategies she used to dominate the track last year.

When the 25-year-old hurdler won the gold medal in the 100-meter hurdles at the 2022 World Championships and set the current world record of 12.12 seconds, she became the first Nigerian to win a world championship in an athletics event.

The hurdler from Ogun said she worked hard and psychologically prepared herself before every race, noting that it helped her stay focused, in a video chat with Justin Tuckey.

“We put our bodies through six hours of training every day for six days a week. And you can be the fittest person in a race and mentally you just get distracted by the other runners on the tracks. A few moments of that ruin everything. And with my kind of event, you need 100 percent focus,” Amusan stated.

“So, the mental part is just as important, if not more, because you have done the work by training hard and now you show up at the track. Sometimes, it’s not about who is the toughest. I have been in every championship finals and it’s not about the toughest, but who wants it and can relax and execute in most of the race scenarios.

“Most times when I train, I do my little talking in my head to prepare myself mentally. What I do in training is what I do on the tracks. So, when you see me out there, I am not crazy, I do this every day, especially when I have lots of hurdle practices.

“You are the best, so you must do it, I tell myself. Self-talking or other forms of self-affirmation might kind of start you going, but once you’re on the right track, you know what to say to defuse the situation and avoid putting too much pressure on yourself. It’s crucial to have a strong mental attitude.