World Record Holder Tobi Amusan to Compete at New Taipei International Athletics Open

(Central News Agency reporter Li Jianzhong, Taipei, June 5) The 2026 New Taipei International Athletics Open will be held for two days starting tomorrow at Banqiao Stadium. In addition to Taiwan's "fastest man" Yang Chun-han competing in Taiwan for the first time in two years, the Chinese Taipei Athletics Association has invited women's 100m hurdles world record holder Tobi Amusan to perform in Taiwan for the first time.

The New Taipei International Athletics Open has been recognized by World Athletics (WA) this year and upgraded to a Silver Label B-level event, leading to an upgraded lineup of participants. This includes Amusan and women's hammer throw world record holder Anita Wlodarczyk.

The men's sprint events are also noteworthy, featuring Jerome Blake, a member of Canada's gold medal-winning 4x100m relay team at the Paris Olympics, and Puripol Boonson, the silver medalist in the 100m at the Hangzhou Asian Games from Thailand.

Chinese Taipei Athletics Association Secretary-General Wang Jing-cheng stated at a pre-competition press conference today, expressing gratitude to the Ministry of Sports and the New Taipei City Government for helping the event proceed as scheduled. "This allows Taiwanese athletes to compete against world-class stars without leaving home, which will be very helpful for this year's Asian Games," he said.

Amusan, a 29-year-old Nigerian visiting Taiwan for the first time, set the women's 100m hurdles world record of 12.12 seconds at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, a record she still holds.

In an interview, Amusan said she visited Taipei 101 after arriving in Taiwan and found the competition venue to be beautifully colorful and the food delicious. "My feeling about Taiwan is very good," she said.

Taiwan's "Hurdle Sweetheart" Chang Po-ya ran a personal best of 12.96 seconds in the 100m hurdles at the 2024 Kominato Memorial Meet in Japan on May 10, just 0.03 seconds off the national record of 12.93 seconds held by Chi Cheng. She has a good chance of breaking the record again under the stimulation of competing with world-class athletes. (Editor: Kuan Chung-wei) 1150605