FOLLOWING a difficult 2024 season, Nigerian 100m hurdles world record holder Tobi Amusan believes legendary Jamaican Coach Glen Mills has her on the right path to returning to world dominance.

The 28-year-old joined Racers Track Club, former home of the world’s fastest man Usain Bolt, at the end of 2024 following a season that saw her fail to make the final at the Olympic Games in Paris.

The 2022 World Champion, in her new training programme, missed the indoor season but returned to hurdling last month and has run three races, including on Saturday at the Adidas Atlanta City Games where she clocked what would have been a season’s best 12.53 seconds had it not been done in a positive 3.0 wind.

She previously finished in the top four of the two Diamond League races in China where she clocked 12.74 seconds on April 26 and a season’s best 12.53 seconds on May 3.

Amusan says she’s making good progress under Mills at Racers, while remaining grounded.

Glen Mills has been coaching Nigerian sprint hurdler Tobi Amusan since the start of the 2025 season. (Naphtali Junior)

“The environment is very great; I’m with [like-minded] athletes who have similar goals to what I want to do,” Amusan said.

“My coach actually knows and is working with me to achieving those, but we’re not rushing. We’re taking it one step a time, one race at a time, and we’re looking forward to the rest of the season.”

Despite moving to a new country, the Nigerian says she’s enjoying the Jamaican conditions.

“Jamaica is home— I mean, everyone is welcoming. It’s a great training group, great coaches; everyone has been amazing,” said Amusan.

Amusan also revealed she’s in a better space mentally after a tough end to her 2024 campaign.

“It was a bit of a roller coaster for me. With the help of family, God, and mentors I was able to get through the dark phase and get back into training,” she said. “I started a whole new training group, gradually building into Tobi, and I think everything’s been going well and I can’t complain.”

Since her world record exploits of 12.12 seconds at the Eugene World Championships in July 2022 Amusan hasn’t been able to hit the same heights, missing out on medals at the Olympics last year and the Budapest World Championships in 2023.

Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan reacts after setting a world record 12.12s in the women’s 100m hurdles semi-final during the World Athletics Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, on July 24, 2022. (Photo: AFP)

However, she says she’s confident she can register more impressive times with Mills’ guidance.

“I think I’m doing more sprinting than hurdling, and that’s really showing in my hurdles because I’ve done two 100m races so far. I love sprinting but hurdling is my thing and I feel like I can combine both, hence why I’m [with Coach Mills],” Amusan said.

“Right now, he’s focusing more on doing more sprinting in practice and doing execution at track meets, and when we’re ready to put it together, we’ll be ready.”

Amusan, though, says she’s not placing any major expectations on herself ahead of the Tokyo World Championships in September.

“Honestly, I don’t think anything has changed for me. I’m still Tobi — other than the pressure on the track when they expect you to win every single time — but nothing has really changed;it’s just me being me and striving towards the next goal,” she said.

Amusan is set to compete in her first 100m hurdles on Jamaican soil, since joining Mills at the Racers Grand Prix, on June 7 at the National Stadium.

She has competed twice in Jamaica this season in the 100m at the Velocity Fest meet in March when she ran 11.41 and 11.28 seconds.