Category: SOS

Serena Williams is, finally, considering giving up tennis. Uttering the word, retirement, was, even more, difficult for the multiple Grand Slams champion, who brought new meaning into the tennis world.

In an interview with Vogue, she said, taking the decision was tough on her but was largely swayed by her five-year-old daughter, Olympia, and the desire to have more children.

“My daughter, Olympia, who turns five this month, and I were on our way to get her a new passport before a trip to Europe. We’re in my car, and she’s holding my phone, using an interactive educational app she likes. This robot voice asks her a question: What do you want to be when you grow up? She doesn’t know I’m listening, but I can hear the answer she whispers into the phone. She says, “I want to be a big sister.

“Olympia says this a lot, even when she knows I’m listening. Sometimes before bed, she prays to Jehovah to bring her a baby sister. (She doesn’t want anything to do with a boy!) I’m the youngest of five sisters myself, and my sisters are my heroes, so this has felt like a moment I need to listen very carefully to.

“Believe me, I never wanted to have to choose between tennis and a family. I don’t think it’s fair. If I were a guy, I wouldn’t be writing this because I’d be out there playing and winning while my wife was doing the physical labour of expanding our family. Maybe I’d be more of a Tom Brady if I had that opportunity. Don’t get me wrong: I love being a woman, and I loved every second of being pregnant with Olympia. I was one of those annoying women who adored being pregnant and was working until the day I had to report to the hospital—although things got super complicated on the other side. And I almost did do the impossible: A lot of people don’t realize that I was two months pregnant when I won the Australian Open in 2017. But I’m turning 41 this month, and something’s got to give.”

“I’ve been reluctant to admit that I have to move on from playing tennis. It’s like a taboo topic. It comes up, and I start to cry. I think the only person I’ve really gone there with is my therapist

“The 23 Grand Slam singles titles holder adds: “I have never liked the word retirement. Maybe the best word to describe what I’m up to is evolution. I’m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me. A few years ago, I quietly started Serena Ventures, a venture capital firm. Soon after that, I started a family. I want to grow that family.”

Looking back, she says hard work to achieve perfection kept her going. “When I was little, I was not very good at tennis. I was so sad when I didn’t get all the early opportunities that Venus got, but that helped me. It made me work harder, turning me into a savage fighter. I’d travel to tournaments with Venus as her hitting partner, and if there was an open slot, I’d play. I followed her around the world and watched her. When she lost, I understood why, and I made sure I wouldn’t lose the same way. That’s how I started to move so fast up the rankings, because I learned the lessons from Venus’s losses instead of the hard way, from my own. It was as if I were playing her matches, too. I’m a good mimic. Growing up I tried to copy Pete Sampras. I loved Monica Seles, and then I studied Monica Seles. I watched, I listened, then I attacked. But if I hadn’t been in Venus’s shadow, I would never be who I am. When someone said I was just the little sister, that’s when I got really fired up.

“I want to be great. I want to be perfect. I know perfect doesn’t exist, but whatever my perfect was, I never wanted to stop until I got it right.”

Culled from Vogue

Nottingham Forest attacker, Taiwo Awoniyi, is slowly adjusting to new life in The City Ground. The Nigerian international, however, says hard work, dedication, and belief in God are his cardinal tools for success.

“My dream is to always keep working and I see him (Head Coach Steve Cooper) as a person who I can develop under. For me, it’s always about hard work, dedication, and belief in God. When I look back, it was always about the team for me.”

The 24-year-old joins us on a five-year deal from Union Berlin for a club-record fee on the back of an impressive campaign for the Bundesliga club.

The Nigerian international netted 20 goals in 43 games across all competitions last season, scoring 15 times in the Bundesliga as Union finished fifth.

Following his move to The City Ground, the striker spoke about his discussions with Cooper and why he decided to join The Reds amid interest from elsewhere.

“I feel great,” Awoniyi said. “I feel very happy to be here. Looking at the project, it’s something I’m really looking forward to.

“What stood out about Forest were the meetings with the Head Coach and the discussions we had. I can see how ambitious and dedicated he is to his job.

“When I look at Forest and look at the history of the club, it’s even more about the team. This is the kind of place I love to belong to and I am ready for it.

“Every striker wants to score goals, but I’m ready to work for the team, to fight for every ball, to win every challenge, that’s my style and that’s what I’m here for.”

MEMORY LANE

Awoniyi was first spotted by former Wolves and Stoke City midfielder Seyi Olofinjana – the founder of the Imperial Soccer Academy.

Seyi, along with Atiba Bankole, traveled over 200 kilometers to watch a 13-year-old Awoniyi in action, and their journey was made worthwhile when he produced an impressive display, enough so to earn himself a place in the academy.

A focused young man. Awoniyi also revealed that he was studying for a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration alongside his goalscoring exploits for Union Berlin. The striker also has a Diploma in Business Administration and Marketing Management.

Back in 2013, Awoniyi helped Nigeria lift the U17 FIFA World Cup.

Taiwo scored two goals against Uruguay in the quarter-finals and was a key player in a side which beat Mexico to lift the trophy.

Awoniyi was named in the provisional 35-man squad for Nigeria’s participation in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

After finishing top of Group B, Nigeria beat Denmark in the quarter-finals before suffering a 2-0 defeat to Germany in the semi-finals. They did, however, beat Honduras 3-2 to win a bronze medal.

In April 2015, Awoniyi marked his Nigeria U23s debut with a brace against Zambia.

The 2-1 win ensured that Nigeria would qualify for the 2015 Africa Games.

Happy to be in my new home.” This is the message Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman is selling to fans of Italian Serie A team Atalanta, after his permanent move to the club last week.  Taking to his Twitter account, the former Leicester on-loan said he’s in love with the traditional and modest Italian city of Bergamo, and happy to call it home.

Bergamo is the fourth largest city in Lombardy with a population of 120,000.

The post received a massive reaction from Atalanta fans who retweeted in their hundreds to welcome the journeyman to his new base.

Lookman, 24, had been through five clubs before arriving here. He kickstarted his professional career from Charlton Athletic in 2015 before moving to Everton where he loaned to RB Leipzig. He went on to play for Leicester City and Fulham, before landing in Italy.

Lookman landed a permanent deal from Leipzig in a 15 million Euro deal that will keep him at Atalanta until 2026 with an option for 2027.

In another extensive interview, his first official one with Atlanta, Lookman, said he did not need to think hard before committing to Atalanta when they came for him.

“I am happy to be here. I am really happy because I have known about the club’s interest in me for some time, and now I am ready to get to work.

“Here, it’s incredible. I think Atalanta is a great club, a great club in Italy, and that they play a great attacking football that they like so much and lends themselves to my characteristics. It was a simple decision to make.”

The Nigerian international winger also informed fans of his new club and what to expect.

He added: “Well, I would say that I am an explosive player, exciting; I like to score and assist. I like to create dangerous situations. For the rest, I consider myself a chilled, relaxed guy.

“My desire here at Atalanta is to win as much as possible. I want to grow and do well, but at the same time, I want the team to grow also with my contribution because the value of the group is important.”

Born in Wandsworth on the 20th of October in 1997, he is a fast and skillful winger with the ability to drift past defenders, attack the depth, and can cover different positions in the attack, he can play different positions offensively.

Lookman has Nigerian roots but has English citizenship, he started playing for Charlton, making his senior team debut in November 2015, a few days after turning 18.

He joined Everton in January 2017 and as soon as he came on in the game’s final minutes, he scored on his Premier League debut in the 4-0 victory over Manchester City. In the following season, he scored two goals in the UEFA Europa League groupstage, playing in the same group as Atalanta. He was loaned out to RB Leipzig in January 2018 and kicked off his spell in Germany by scoring on his debut, which arrived in the away victory over Borussia Monchengladbach. He rounded off the season with five goals and 4 assists registered in 11 appearances and after another spell at Everton.

He was signed again by RB Leipzig in the summer of 2019. He then returned to England on loan to play for the Premier League sides Fulham first and then Leicester City. He played the last term there, scoring 8 goals and registering 5 assists in 42 appearances overall across the league, the English Cups, and the UEFA Europa League, striking crucial goals like the one in the home victory over Liverpool last December.

At the youth level, Lookman also played for the England national team, contributing significantly to the Under-20 World Cup victory (he bagged a brace against Costa Rica in the last 16 and scored against Italy in the semifinal) and also donning the Under-21 shirt.

He then decided to represent Nigeria, his parent’s country of origin, at the senior level: his debut dates back to last March in the World Cup qualifiers against Ghana.

Could the hype around Carney Chukwuemeka,18, the latest signing for Chelsea, be real? This is the question of making the round following the £ 20 million transfer fee splashed on the midfielder who has risen through the Aston Villa youth ranks. Though he was expected to be a regular on Villa’s first team, Chukwuemeka and the new gaffer Steven Gerrard did not agree on the term of his contract leading to him moving on.

Having made his first team debut last season against Tottenham before helping Aston Villa win the FA Youth Cup in May 2021, finishing the tournament as top scorer with seven goals, his rising status has not only garnered positive attention from the playing side, but it’s also seen doors opening away from the pitch, with him becoming a brand ambassador for 11 Degrees in 2021.

Born to Nigerian parents in Austria, the England youth player said he has worked hard to attract the current hype.

“When you’re first grafting and working hard, you don’t realise at the start that it can take a while before something positive happens. You have to keep the right mindset and for me, it’s about keeping it in mind that god has a plan for you. I just kept working hard over the years knowing that if I keep doing that, my chance will come.”

MAKING GOALS

At a tender age, the prolific player began to set his goals. “Before every season I’m always setting myself goals and targets. I’ve done things like put my targets on my notes on my phone and saved that picture as my lock screen. Just doing that means that when I wake up in the morning and see that, I’ll look at myself and tell myself, “I’ve got to keep working to get to where I want to go”.

However, the ride for Chukwuemeka, whose parents hail from Eastern Nigeria, has not been all cozy.

“From the under-9s to under-14s, I’d say that was more of an easy time. It’s more about just having fun, there are not really any lows then. When you get to 15/16 that’s when you start feeling it become more competitive. The jump from the under 23s to the first team is something huge. That was a different level and a new lesson in how to adapt my game. I’d say that the change between 23s and the first team is the most noticeable shift I’ve experienced in my career. The tempo, the intensity – you have to think quickly to play quicker. Everything is just different.”

Chukwuemeka hinted that he has gotten to a point where he can aspire to the top of the ladder.

“I’m aiming for those levels. I want to be the very best I possibly can and I will do all I can to get to the very top.

Every time I play, every time I step out on the pitch, I just want to show what I can do and give my best for everyone. When the game is over, I always feel like I can do more so I’m straight away looking at the next game.

MOTIVATION

“Football is always going around in my head. I’ll be analysing my performance whether that was in training or in a game. I’ll be thinking about the last session, thinking about what I could have done better and I’ll take that into the next session or next game. I’m still always learning and watching others on YouTube for example from other midfielders. Pedri for Spain as an example. I can learn a lot from players like him and legends too – people like Kaka and (Zinedine) Zidane – that’s who I’m looking at. So, when I get home it’s about resting and recovering and having time to play Playstation, but I’ll always have football on my mind.”

Aside from Zidane and Kaka, he also has something for late basketball legend, Kobe Bryant.

“I loved Kobe Bryant before he passed. His mentality, the Mamba mentality. Everything about him is so humble and I believe that is why he got so far. I look at what he was like and think, “I can replicate that”. I know I can be humble and keep that mentality that I can always do better.”

Chukwuemeka said he’s also motivated by English youth teams teammate, Jude Bellingham, who plays for Borussia Dortmund but is being targeted by top England teams.

“I and Jude have known each other for a few years. What he is doing now is inspiring me in a big way to do more. I’m particularly driven by him. I’ve felt how he can drive me and motivate me. I’d love to get into that position so that I can help show the next player what can be done. That’s my goal really; I want to bring all the success I can home to England, to my family, and to all who have helped me on my journey so far.”

Off the pitch, the 1.82m tall, is a different person.

“On the pitch, I’d say I’m a calm person. In any situation, I’m calm. I like to help my teammates as much as I can. I’d say I’m pretty vocal. I like to think I’m a leader at times as well. Off the pitch, I’d say I’m bubbly and good to be around. I like to make a lot of jokes and have a good time. I’m good company.

FASHION TASTE 

And that shows in his fashion taste.

“I’d say I fit in with various tastes. Definitely more of the younger players. My generation has a different taste to the older generation. The way the more established players dress just wouldn’t work on me. It’s different, we’re all different. I’d say the way I dress is colourful and vibe.

CHELSEA MOVE

Chelsea stole a march on a host of European rivals on Monday by agreeing a £ 20 million fee with Aston Villa for Chukwuemeka.

Thomas Tuchel has been itching to bolster his midfield ahead of the Premier League season getting underway and the youngster is his latest recruit.

The Blues have already added Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly and goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina to their squad this summer.

PROFILE

Chukwuemeka was born in the small Austrian city of Eisenstadt in October 2003 to Nigerian parents before moving to England, where he was raised in Northampton.

As a result, he is eligible to represent three countries, but he has elected to play for England at youth level.

In just 11 appearances for the team, he has scored five times, and he was a standout performer at this summer’s Under-19 European Championships.

He netted in England’s opening two games of the tournament against Austria and Serbia before being handed the captain’s armband for the final group match against Israel.

England went on to play Israel again in the final, and Chukwuemeka scored his third goal of the tournament in extra time to seal a 3-1 victory and the trophy.

He was subsequently named in the Team of the Tournament, capping a remarkable fortnight for the youngster.

Meanwhile, Villa have known about his talent for some time. Having initially come through Northampton’s academy, he joined the Villains as a 12-year-old in 2016.

Chukwuemeka went on to play a significant role in Villa’s FA Youth Cup win in 2020-21 before making his top-flight debut as a late substitute at Tottenham in May 2021.

His first Premier League start followed in the early weeks of the 2021-22 campaign as Dean Smith named him in his starting line-up against Brentford last August.

Chukwuemeka made 11 further league appearances last term and was regularly called up to the team’s matchday squad.

Benedict Akwuegbu, former international with Nigeria U17, U20, U23, and Super Eagles and technical adviser to Mighty Jets FC, Assistant GM Heartland and manager FC Gratkorn of Austria, in this interview with Taiwo Alimi, talks about issues around Nigerian football and why he is in position to transform it as the new Nigeria Football Federation president.

What motivates you to run for the highest office in Nigeria Football Federation (NFF)?

What really motivates me is that Nigeria did not qualify for the World Cup. I took it upon myself to contest for the NFF President because our football has not been doing well.

If I get the chance to lead the NFF it would be a rebirth of NFF in Nigeria. I would transform Nigeria football in line with the global trends, I have my expertise in Germany and Austria. They are willing to work with us to transform Nigerian football.

What are your other plans to transform football in Nigeria? 

First, we have to start with grassroots football. Then, we visit the states to ensure that all the facilities are in place. We have to go back to the days when things are done professionally and on merit. We have to ensure that people come back to the stadium at the level of the leagues. It has to be professionally done and we don’t want clubs to rely on the government all the time. Things have to be done professionally.

I have listened to all aspirants and nobody is saying the root cause of not qualifying for the World Cup. We want to create a league where the local players can play in the Super Eagles. To have a policy on how players should be invited to the national team. There must be boundaries in the national team. Players that play in Dubai, in second division teams in Europe cannot play for the national team.

I believe that we can bring the first-ever World Cup to Nigeria. We have the talent to rule the world.

What do you think has prepared you for this ambition? 

It was my talent that brought me into the national team right from secondary school. I was discovered by Sebastine Broderick. The likes of Tijani Babangida, Emmanuel Babayaro, and Daniel Amokachi were discovered in secondary school. Even, in the 90s, players in the Nigerian league dominated the national team.

This is what we want to bring back. I’m thinking of the coming generation. I feel sad when I see people wearing Arsenal and Chelsea jerseys when our own teams are there and lacking. Charity should begin at home. All the teams in Nigeria are brands. If we close rank we can become a big football nation worldwide.

I’m optimistic we can be the first African team to lift the World Cup. This is my target. There will be U15, U17, and U20 leagues, and merchandising of all teams just like it is done abroad.

There has been clamour for ex-players to be given the chance, is that why you are doing this?

I love charity work. I love making people happy. I like to carry people along. Ex-players and internationals deserve the best. They deserve to be happy. They labour for the country. We need to allow them space to show what they learned during their days.

This is one of the things that is in my agenda. Make fans happy and referees happy. Train them well and make them happy. We can plan ahead to make our football better.

I served Nigeria for 18 years in the national teams. I played the game; from 1989 to 2007.  I served in all categories of the national team. I have played in many leagues in Europe and Asia and it is time for Nigeria to give an ex-player chance to pilot their affairs. No player has done it before.

Life is mostly not a bed of roses and it aptly describes life in the suburbs and ghettos. Yet, despite the strangulating socio-economic odds and challenges bedeviling residents in these ghettos, they have often risen above the challenges and eke a fortune and good life for themselves. Just like the world-famous ghettos of Ajegunle, in Ajeromi-Ifelodun local government, now fondly called AJ City, Sari-Iganmu, which is in Apapa-Iganmu local government is another ghetto populated by needy, but talented people.

Interestingly, these ghettos have continued to churn out world-class athletes, musicians, thespians, artists, academicians, and entrepreneurs.

One of such is Abayomi Michael Egbayelo, the proprietor of the NLO football team, Iganmu FC, who is spreading the message of love by touching lives in the community.

Born and bred in Sari-Iganmu, he had his Primary and Secondary schooling in the community, where the survival instinct came intuitively. The allure for a better life brought out the adventurer in him, taking him first to South Africa before he eventually landed in Japan.

Egbayelo said of the Japan experience: “Life in Japan wasn’t easy when I got into the country. You have to work hard and diligently too, to get whatever you want. The Japanese lifestyle and culture are different from where I was coming from.

“However, I tell you, it is a place where your dreams for a good life can come true, and your future is assured. The Japanese are meticulous, disciplined, and very accommodating”.

Today, he is a proud Ph.D. holder in Sports Medicine and has other certificates and awards. Abayomi is beginning to live the good life and of course, with his Japanese wife and kids.

Egbayelo is back to making a positive difference in the lives of his family and friends, particularly, in the Sari-Iganmu community.

In 2019, he sponsored a U12 team to win an international tournament in Japan. However, his community services go beyond football.

The unassuming young man has equally been empowering indigent youths, widows, and elderly people within and outside the Sari-Iganmu area. During his recent visit to Sari-Iganmu, he was again into his selfless philanthropic gestures, when he encountered out-of-school 8-year-old Fathia Azeez.

Egbayelo described his meeting with the young girl as an ‘Encounter With a brave girl. ” This girl struggled amid a large crowd to approach me at my hood in Olatokunbo Street, Sari-Iganmu. When she finally had her way, she said: ‘Please Sir, I need N1,000 to buy my books for school.’ I was blown away by her braveness and determination.

“I asked her again, what do you want to buy with the N1,000? She said books. I was shocked because kids of her age will always like to buy snacks, candies, or food. I was touched and moved to tears seeing this young girl struggling to go to school.

“she took me to her grandmother, who is a cleaner at a local hotel. Her dad is late, and her mother abandoned her. I said to myself, I need to help her achieve something in life.”

He arranged to move her from a public school to Great Peneil Private School, Sari- Iganmu paid her fees three years in advance and promised to send her to a private secondary school after her primary education.

He also paid for her school books, bag, uniforms, shoes, and necessary amenities she would need in pursuit of her education without any financial

“If it’s God’s will, I’ll pay her University school fees, so she can be somebody important in life. People like me struggle with life in the hood. So I must help her become educated and be equally equipped for a better future.”

According to Egbayelo, he lives for the smiles, joy, and happiness on the faces of little Fathia, her grandmother, and others he brings happiness to.

Lati Erinfolami, chief coach of FirstBank Female Basketball Team, otherwise known, as Elephant Girls, is a happy man. Likewise, his assistant, Taye Adeniyi. And for lovers of basketball, it’s going to be a swell time henceforth. Already many basketball fans are asking, ‘is basketball back to its glorious days?

The answer is a resounding yes.

If the exploits of the nation’s foremost basketball team, Elephant Girls in recent times are anything to go by then it’s going to be fun galore, henceforth.

Before now, it was gloom, necessitated by the rampaging COVID-19 that put most sporting activities on hold, and even compounded by the crisis that rocked Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF).

In all these, however, the Elephant Girls are flying high in the wings of the nation’s foremost financial institution, FirstBank.

First, it was the Sam Oguche Basketball Foundation Tournament, which took place at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium in Lagos early in July.

Blazing through the preliminary stages, the girls filed out against their familiar foe, co-contenders MFM Queens. It ended 52-40 in favour of the Elephant Girls.

In the encounter reminiscence of the match between the world-famous Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers, the highly motivated Elephant Girls show class, skill, and resilience in the blistering 1hr 30mins match to seal victory over MFM Queens. But they are not done yet.

Less than three days after the victory over MFM, they returned to their familiar terrain, the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium in Lagos for the second series of the Dr. D. K Olukoya Women Basketball Championship.

In contention are Clubs from across the country, MFM Queens, Bayelsa Patriots, Air Warriors from Abuja, Dodan Amazon from Lagos, Sunshine Angels of Akure, Osun Girls, Ekiti Warriors, IGP Queens from Abuja, and the rave of the moment, the Elephant Girls tutored by Erinfolami.

Erifolami; a coach of great repute, does not just impact the knowledge of the sport on the girls; he’s also a mentor and life coach.

In his days as a player, Erinfolami played at the senior national team level and even played briefly outside the country. He was a key member of the defunct AG Leventis Basketball Team and popular Ebun Comets. He had a brief stay in Lebanon before coming back to impact the knowledge of the younger ones.

Erinfolami joined the Elephant Girls not long ago and already has so much to show. He has led the team to the Lagos State City League win in the past, came third in the Zenith Basketball League in 2018/19, won the 2021 Olukoya Women Basketball Competi tion, and won the ‘Mark the Ball’ Championship in Abuja.

Two weeks back, the FirstBank Female Basketball team added another to its already overflowing success cap. The icing on the cake was the victory recorded over hard-fighting MFM Queens in the final of the second edition of the Olukoya Basketball Competition. It ended 54-37 in favour of the Elephant Girls.

Such is the history of success of the FirstBank girls. But if you think they are local champions, you must be wrong.

Elephant girls have a very rich history. Aside from winning the 2015/2016 Zenith Bank Women’s Basketball Championship for the seventh time, they’ve gone to the continent to show class. But 2015/2016 also has a lot of history behind it. The competition, which, dunked off on March 18, 2016; saw the Elephant Girls take the lead in all the games in Abuja, Asaba, and the finals in Lagos.

The team maintained the unbeaten run to reclaim the trophy from Dolphins FC, the then defending champions of the tournament. The victory was spurred by their wallop of the AHIP Queens of Kano in the quarter-finals by 106-38, mauled the IGP Queens by 105-22 in the semifinal game, and dethroned Dolphins FC with a final score line of 75 – 60.

The FirstBank team won FIBA Africa Zone 3 competition, and they were also champions of the FIBA Africa Women’s Clubs Champions Cup in 2003 and 2009.

In 2003, the Elephant Girls represented Nigeria at the International Women Basketball Competition which was held in Brazil.

FirstBank, already dubbed first with sports, is not just into basketball, but other sports. The banking giant has its fingerprint in golf, polo, tennis, horse racing, and athletics among others. It is committed to the development of sports in Nigeria.

Simply put, sports is woven into the fabric of the banking giant.

What many do not know that memorable night Tobi Amusan shattered the 100m hurdles world record at the World Athletics Championship in Eugene-Oregon-US, is that the Nigerian star was not wearing regular track spikes.

Amusan ran a staggering 12.12 seconds in her semi-final to beat Kendra Harrison’s old best by 0.08 sec – smashing her personal best time by nearly three-tenths of a second.

Amusan was wearing Adidas Adizero Avanti shoes, which are designed for 5km and 10km runners, rather than track spikes.

After running even faster to win gold in the final nearly two hours later, Amusan revealed she had accidentally stumbled on the idea of using the shoes, which have extra bouncy foam, after injuring her foot.

Adidas bill the Adizero Avanti as “like hitting fast-forward” and promise the shoes “provide a snappy, propulsive ride with high traction and reduce fatigue, so you finish 5km and 10km races with a kick.”

There is nothing illegal about the shoes, with current World Athletics rules dictating that sprint spikes cannot have soles thicker than 20mm – the same as the Adizero Avanti.

Until now these shoes have always been used for long races, but the benefits for Amusan were obvious as she flew high over the hurdles and into the record books. “My abilities are not centered around spikes,” said the Nigerian, who ran 12.06 in the final, only for the wind speed of +2.5m/s to make it ineligible for record purposes.

“I had patella fasciitis at the beginning of the season so that set me back for a while,” Amusan added. “I spoke to Adidas and requested if I could get spikes with a softer sole. They recommended a lot of stuff and I feel comfortable in [the shoes], so I was using them basically the entire time.”

The new breed of super shoes does appear to particularly help hurdle events, with Sydney McLaughlin also breaking the women’s 400m hurdles record wearing New Balance’s latest model.