EUGENE, Oregon — Over the course of two hours, Tobi Amusan went from a face in the crowd to the face of her sport.
In that span Sunday evening, the El Pasoan picked to repeat her previous fourth-place finishes at major track meets became the world record holder, then the gold medal holder in the 100-meter hurdles at the World Athletic Championships. It was a stunning rise for the Nigerian who had been known for near-misses on the biggest stage.
By early evening she was known as a world record holder after running 12.12 seconds in the semifinals, breaking the 6-year-old record set by American Kendra Harrison.