World Champs Women’s 100H — Kambundji Rose Up From Parity

Starting with the 7th-fastest PR among the finalists, Ditaji Kambundji shed tears of joy after winning by 0.05. (KIRBY LEE/IMAGE OF SPORT)

SEVEN DIFFERENT WOMEN won Diamond League 100H races this season, setting the stage for another wide-open competition. But in the end, an athlete who hadn’t tasted victory on the circuit all year came out on top. Ditaji Kambundji became the first Swiss athlete to medal in this event, running away from a field that included three past world champions and the reigning Olympic gold medalist.

Defending champ Danielle Williams of Jamaica had the quickest time in the heats (12.40), which saw the key players move on. The one exception: Jamaica’s Megan Tapper, the Olympic bronze medalist on this track in ’21, who scratched with a hamstring injury.

American Grace Stark took the first semifinal in a controlled 12.37 over Kambundji (12.44), with Jamaican medal contender Ackera Nugent (12.63) unable to advance. Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan (12.36) and the Netherlands’ Nadine Visser (12.45) grabbed the auto spots out of the second race, followed by Poland’s Pia Skrzyszowska (12.53). American Alaysha Johnson (12.66) was eliminated in 4th. Olympic champion Masai Russell of the U.S. came on strong late to take the third heat in 12.42 over Williams (12.44), while fast-starting Bahamian Devynne Charlton (12.51) joined Skrzyszowska as a time qualifier.

An hour later, with the wind essentially still (-0.1), Charlton got the best start in lane 9. Kambundji, in lane 3, forged the slightest of leads by the second hurdle, inches ahead of Stark (lane 5). Russell (lane 7) hit the fifth barrier, disrupting her rhythm while Kambundji was steadily extending her margin up front.

World Record-holder and ’22 winner Amusan mounted a late charge in lane 6, passing Stark at the eighth flight, but she could not catch Kambundji, who crossed the line in a Swiss record 12.24. That cut her PR from 12.40, moved her to =No. 9 on the all-time list and is also the fastest wind-legal winning time in meet history. However, the mark fell short of the 12.12 meet record — and WR — Amusan set in the semis in Eugene prior to a windy 12.06 run in the final. The medal adds to a Kambundji family trophy case that includes a pair of World Indoor 60 titles for older sister Mujinga.

Amusan (12.29) took the silver while Stark (12.34) was a clear 3rd, ahead of Russell (12.44), Skrzyszowska (12.49) and Charlton (12.49).

“It’s really that race that I knew I was able to do, but in the end you still have to do it, and you still have to do it in the world championship final,” said the 23-year-old Kambundji, who won the European indoor 60H title this winter, followed by world indoor bronze. On the ’25 Diamond League circuit she had finished 4th in Rabat, 2nd in Monaco, 3rd in Lausanne and 2nd in Zürich.

She said, “I think that was something that really helped me preparing for these Worlds, that it really doesn’t matter what you did before, [during] the whole season. It matters what you do now.”

WOMEN’S 100 HURDLES RESULTS

FINAL (September 15; wind –0.1)

1. Ditaji Kambundji (Swi) 12.24 NR (=7, =9 W);

2. Tobi Amusan (Ngr) 12.29;

3. Grace Stark (US) 12.34;

4. Masai Russell (US) 12.44;

5. Pia Skrzyszowska (Pol) 12.49;

6. Devynne Charlton (Bah) 12.49;

7. Danielle Williams (Jam) 12.53;

8. Nadine Visser (Neth) 12.56.

(lanes: 2. Skrzyszowska; 3. Kambundji; 4. Williams; 5. Stark; 6. Amusan; 7. Russell; 8. Visser; 9. Charlton)

(reaction times: 0.141 Skrzyszowska, 0.146 Kambundji, 0.153 Williams, 0.170 Visser, 0.172 Stark, 0.187 Amusan, 0.189 Charlton, 0.240 Russell)

HEATS (September 14)

I(0.2)–1. Russell 12.53; 2. Marione Fourie (SA) 12.86; 3. Sarah Lavin (Ire) 12.94; 4. Luca Kozák (Hun) 12.96; 5. Yanni Wu (Chn) 13.12; 6. Viktória Forster (Svk) 13.18; 7. Denisha Cartwright (Bah) 13.50.

II(0.0)–1. Williams 12.40; 2. Alaysha Johnson (US) 12.76; 3. Sacha Alessandrini (Fra) 12.99; 4. Karin Strametz (Aut) 13.02; 5. Aasia Laurencin (StL) 13.03; 6. Yumi Tanaka (Jpn) 13.05; 7. Lai Yiu Lui (HK) 13.43; 8. Thi My Tien Huynh (Vie) 13.77.

III(-0.2)–1. Visser 12.48; 2. Giada Carmassi (Ita) 12.83; 3. Greisys Roble (Cub) 12.84; 4. Alicja Sielska (Pol) 12.99; 5. Mariam Abdul-Rashid (Can) 13.02; 6. Dina Aulia (Ina) 13.28; 7. Cecilia Francisco Guambe (Moz) 13.78.

IV(0.5)–1. Ackera Nugent (Jam) 12.54; 2. Kambundji 12.59; 3. Maayke Tjin A-Lim (Neth) 12.71; 4. Yanla Ndjip-Nyemeck (Bel) 12.74; 5. Saara Keskitalo (Fin) 12.95; 6. Charisma Taylor (Bah) 12.96; 7. Nathalie Almendarez (ElS) 13.70; 8. Liz Clay (Aus) 13.82.

V(0.1)–1. Stark 12.46; 2. Skrzyszowska 12.51; 3. Amoi Brown (Jam) 12.82; 4. Mako Fukube (Jpn) 12.92; 5. Nika Glojnarič (Slo) 13.13; 6. Tatiana Ahoulou (Can) 13.21; 7. Sidonie Fiadanantsoa (Mol) 13.27.

VI(0.0)–1. Amusan 12.53; 2. Charlton 12.69; 3. Elena Carraro (Ita) 12.86; 4. Lotta Harala (Fin) 12.86; 5. Hitomi Nakajima (Jpn) 12.88; 6. Anna Tóth (Hun) 13.06; 7. Ketiley Batista (Bra) 13.30.

SEMIS (September 15)

I(-0.5)–1. Stark 12.37; 2. Kambundji 12.44; 3. Nugent 12.63; 4. Lavin 12.86; 5. Carmassi 12.95; 6. Roble 12.97; 7. Fukube 13.06;… fs)—Harala.

II(-0.2)–1. Amusan 12.36; 2. Visser 12.45; 3. Skrzyszowska 12.53; 4. Johnson 12.66; 5. Carraro 12.79 PR; 6. Brown 12.93; 7. Nakajima 13.02; 8. Keskitalo 13.02.

III(0.2)–1. Russell 12.42; 2. Williams 12.44; 3. Charlton 12.51; 4. A-Lim 12.85; 5. Kozák 13.01; 6. Ndjip-Nyemeck 13.05; 7. Alessandrini 13.08;… dq[knocking down hurdle]—Fourie.

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