Tobi Amusan joins Team Nigeria camp ahead of 2026 Commonwealth Games bid

World record holder Tobi Amusan arrives at Team Nigeria camp for 2026 Commonwealth Games

Tobi Amusan has arrived at Team Nigeria’s training base in Aberdeen, Scotland, as the squad ramps up preparations for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

The world record 100m hurdles runner joins Nigeria’s squad after a strong Diamond League season. She already booked her place in the season-ending final in Brussels with four meetings still to go. At 29, Amusan is the reigning Commonwealth Games champion in the women’s 100m hurdles, having won gold in 2018 and 2022.

What’s at stake for Amusan in Glasgow

Amusan is the clear favourite for gold in Glasgow. She arrives fresh off defending her African title earlier this year in Ghana, where she ran a season’s best of 12.28 seconds-her third time hitting that mark in 2024.

Her rivals include Jamaican duo Megan Simmonds and Kerrica Hill, South Africa’s Marione Fourie, and England’s Emma Nwofor. The field also features Barbados pair Adeyah Brewster and Maya Rollins, Canada’s Mariam Abdul-Rashid and Tatiana Aholou, Ghana’s Evonne Britton, Kenya’s Rukia Nusra Omulisia, and Australia’s Michelle Jenneke.

Nigeria’s preparations hit by injury setback

Team Nigeria opened camp in Aberdeen last week, training at the Aberdeen Sports Village. But their preparations suffered a blow when long jump star Ese Brume pulled out with an injury.

Brume was ruled out of the Games, ending her hopes of defending the women’s long jump title she won in 2022 with a Games record leap of 7.00m. In her place, Ruth Usoro has been called up to the squad and will compete alongside Prestina Ochonogor in the women’s long jump.

Amusan’s path to a third straight title

Amusan has already secured her spot in the Diamond League final in Brussels, with four meetings still left in the season. Her consistency this year-including three 12.28-second runs-keeps her firmly in the mix as the favourite for Glasgow.

Nigeria’s athletics team will look to build on their strong tradition in the long jump and sprint hurdles as they chase more medals in Scotland next year.