Former Nigeria sprinter, hurdler and jumper, Seigha Porbeni, says it will be difficult for Tobi Amusan to reclaim the World Record title, which she lost in Zurich on Thursday.

Amusan finished second in the women’s 100m hurdles at the 14th and penultimate leg of the 2026 Wanda Diamond League at Weltklasse in Zurich.

The Nigerian ran a season’s best 12.23 seconds, but it was American Masai Russell who stole the show, winning in a new world record of 12.09 seconds. The official result confirms Russell’s 12.09 as a World Record, Diamond League Record and Meeting Record, and in the process, overlapped Amusan’s 12.12 seconds world record, set on her way to making history as the first Nigerian and second African after Moroccan Nezha Bidouane to win a World outdoor title in Oregon, USA, in 2022.

Porbeni, a former Director of Sports in Delta State, and former Head Coach of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), said on Friday that it might be difficult for Amusan to regain the World Title.

“I don’t see it happening because she (Amusan) has been so inconsistent with her starts and subsequently her races,” Porbeni said on Friday.

Tobi Express, as she is called by many Nigerian athletics followers, said after losing the World title on Thursday: “Competing in a world record race is amazing. I came out here and I did my best and I am happy with this Season Best.”

Amusan has now lost all four head-to-head races against the American, who has also tied the overall head-to-head meetings at 7-7.