Kambundji, just 23, powered through the line in a blistering 12.24 seconds, smashing her personal best and delivering Switzerland’s first-ever world title in the event. The crowd erupted as the Swiss starlet surged ahead in the final strides, leaving the reigning champion trailing by the narrowest of margins.
Amusan, the 2022 world champion and world record holder, gave her all but settled for second in 12.29 seconds, ensuring Nigeria’s 12th medal in World Championships history. For the 28-year-old, it was a bittersweet finish—an impressive addition to her glittering résumé, but a missed chance to retain her crown.
The battle for bronze went to America’s
Grace Stark, who clocked 12.34 seconds, narrowly edging compatriot Masai Russell. Russell’s sluggish reaction time of 0.240 seconds—the slowest in the field—cost her dearly, leaving her in fourth with 12.44 seconds. Bahamian Devynne Charlton finished with the same time, while Jamaica’s Danielle Williams, the 2023 world champion, could only manage seventh in 12.53 seconds. The Netherlands’ Nadine Visser rounded off the field in eighth with 12.56 seconds.Amusan had looked unstoppable in the semi-final, storming home in 12.36 seconds ahead of Visser and Poland’s Pia Skrzyszowska. That commanding performance raised hopes of a successful title defence. But under the lights of Tokyo, despite her explosive start, the Nigerian could not hold off Kambundji’s late surge.
For Amusan, it was another reminder of her place among the greats—silver in Tokyo to sit alongside her historic gold from Eugene in 2022, where she set the still-standing world record of 12.12 seconds.
