Prevailing over ‘hurdles’ is her specialty! Tobi Amusan is the world’s fastest 100m woman hurdler and has donned that crown since 2022. However, it’s not just the case in her track and field career. She also seems equally good at surmounting the obstacles that life possibly throws her way. A recent example being her Paris Olympics qualification. Just days before the 33rd Olympic Games were flagged open, she received a clear chit from the Court of Arbitration of Sports, who dismissed appeals concerning the clearance of her doping allegations.

But Amusan hasn’t been alone in her journey. There has been a rock-solid mentor who has stood by her at all times. Right from her college days to her gracing the mightiest international meets, her coach has been the Nigerian athlete’s guiding light. Without ado, let’s get to know the maestro better.

Meet the Coach of Sprinter Tobi Amusan: Lacena Golding Clarke

Since 2016, coach Lacena Golding Clarke has been Tobi Amusan’s athletic lodestar. A former Jamaican athlete herself, Clarke has a rather elite resume, having been to 3 Olympics, 5 world championships, and a myriad of other professional competitions. With one of her gold-standard performances, Clarke also stood atop the winning podium at the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games, as the 100m hurdles star. What’s more? She has bagged 4x SEC Champion titles and six All-American awards at Auburn.

After a point, her individual sprinting career took a back step as she traversed the coaching path. Beginning with her ‘home’ side, she joined Auburn Tigers as a volunteer coach for a 7-year-long tenure. There till 2006, she assisted in steering the women’s team to reach their first NCAA milestone. Subsequently, after handling the University of Texas at Austin’s jumping and hurdling endeavors for women for five years, she joined the University of Texas at El Paso.

During her 10-year span here, Clarke encountered Amusan as a pupil who “had it in her” but needed guidance with the technical bits, mental preparation, and overall force. Well, who better than the veteran Clarke to hone her abilities? Rightly directing her path, she mentored Amusan to varied collegiate feats. Including, 3 on-the-trot All-American distinctions and an NCAA outdoor title in the 100m hurdles event, in 2017.

But her mega win came in Oregon, 2022, when Amusan clocked a 12.12-second world record. “In 2020, during the pandemic, we trained so hard. I had a feeling then that she could, but I did not expect that the world record could be broken by such a time. I was thinking she could go 12.19 or 12.18, but I am just happy that I was a part of it,” she remarked post Amusan’s triumph. Her confidence in Amusan’s skills is needless to emphasize. However, there have also been instances when the tables turned, and this time, Amusan stood by her mentor’s side like a rock.

Tobi defends her coach Lacena Golding Clarke

Post Tobi Amusan’s world record, Clarke appeared in an interview with a Jamaican radio, where a bizarre allegation came forward. During the interview, a caller from Nigeria threw shade on her, calling her ‘bogus’ and saying that she doesn’t coach Amusan. As a reputed professional, this was a very humiliating stage for Golding Clarke. Her credibility was being discarded by a troll.

In this pivotal moment, Amusan took a stand for her coach, and rightly so. She shared a screenshot from her chat with Clarke. In it, Amusan is seen responding furiously to the occurrence. She wrote, “The someone is mad!! Why would he say that?? Is he blind, deaf or just rose from the dead??” She apologized to her mentor for this saddening episode and affirmed, “I’m so sorry mam. You are my coach, the WR holder’s coach”

Therefore, it literally seems that the duo have each other’s backs through the ebb and flow. And now, as Amusan gears up for her 3rd Olympics, Clarke is undoubtedly by her side as she eyes for a glorious victory. What do you think of this coach-pupil camaraderie? Let us know below.