Russell and Jones' form threatens Amusa’s world record and podium finish at the World Championships in Tokyo

Team Nigeria Tobi Amusan's world record in 100m hurdles and a podium finish at the 2025 World Athletics World Championships is being threatened by the form of Masai Russell and Tia Jones.

Russell and Jones stormed up the 100m hurdles all-time list by achieving the second- and third-fastest performances in history at the Grand Slam Track meeting in Miami on Friday.

Olympic champion Russell ran a North American record of 12.17 (2.0m/s) to hold off Jones by just 0.02, those marks respectively moving them to No.2 and No.3 all time behind  Amusan, who set her world record of 12.12 in Oregon in 2022.

Russell and Jones now sit above their US compatriot Kendra Harrison – the former world record-holder who clocked 12.20 in 2016 – on the world all-time list. Harrison finished fourth in Miami on Friday in 12.40, with third place clinched by Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent in 12.34.

Since breaking the world record, Amusan has not recovered her Eugene, Oregon form at major games and championships and even at meets and the World Athletics Diamond League.

At the Budapest 2023 World Athletics Championship and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games failed to make the podium.

Though it is still early in the season but Amusan's opening her 2025 outdoor season with a fourth-place finish at the Diamond League opener in Xiamen, China in a time of 12.74s give athletic buffs some concern.

Reigning world champion Danielle Williams won in 12.53s. The USA’s Grace Stark was second in 12.58s while South Africa’s Marione Fourie was third in 12.62s.

The women’s 100m hurdles was the first race on the first day of action in Miami – the second stop in the Grand Slam Track series after the opener in Kingston last month.

While the 100m hurdles were close, the men’s 200m was even closer. Both Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richards and Dominican Republic’s Alexander Ogando crossed the finish line in 19.86 (1.7m/s) – the fastest time in the world so far this season – with Richards getting the nod for victory.

Following her 100m and 200m double in Kingston, USA’s Olympic bronze medallist Melissa Jefferson-Wooden won the Miami 100m in a wind-assisted 10.75 (2.4m/s) ahead of Tamari Davis, who ran 10.76.

Brazil’s 2022 world champion Alison dos Santos also started with victory in Kingston and repeated the feat in Miami, clocking 47.97 to win the 400m hurdles by almost a second ahead of Chris Robinson (48.92), while Dominican Republic’s Olympic 400m champion Marileidy Paulino followed her third-place finish in Kingston by getting top spot in Miami, clocking 49.21 to Salwa Eid Naser’s 49.33.

Agnes Ngetich and Medina Eisa impressed in the 5000m, Kenya’s Ngetich holding off Ethiopia’s Eisa with a fierce kick – 14:25.80 to 14:25.92.

Ireland’s Andrew Coscoran (8:17.56) pipped Grant Fisher (8:17.60) and George Mills (8:17.77) in a tactical 3000m, while Great Britain’s world champion Josh Kerr edged ahead down the home straight to take the 1500m in 3:34.51 from his fellow Paris Olympic medallists – bronze medallist Yared Nuguse running 3:34.65 and Olympic champion Cole Hocker clocking 3:34.79.