Nigerian hurdler and World Athletics Championships record holder, Tobi Amusan has said her record-breaking 12: 06s performance had nothing to do with her spike shoes.
Amusan’s response is coming on the heels of mixed reactions that have continued to trail the Adidas Adizero Avanti shoes Amusan she wore during the 100 metres hurdles event at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon on Sunday.
“I had patella fasciitis at the beginning of the season so that set me back for a while. I spoke to Adidas and requested if I could get spikes with a softer sole,” Amusan said in an interview with The Guardian, a UK popular tabloid.
“My abilities are not centred around spikes,” she added.
While the Nigerian hurdler’s outstanding record has dragged the spotlight back on shoe technology, Amusan maintained that sprinting abilities had little to do with her shoes.
Amusan noted that she had hit upon the idea to use customised shoes with bouncy foam due to the injury she had earlier sustained.
“They recommended a lot of stuff and I feel comfortable in that, so I was using them basically the entire time,” the world record holder said.
The 25-year-old Amusan became the first Nigerian to win gold at the World Athletics Championships and obliterated the previous world record in the 100m hurdles by 0.8 seconds in Oregon.
Regulation of the World Athletics on shoes
Meanwhile, going by the regulation of the World Athletics Council, Amusan has not done anything illegal.
The governing body World Athletics has put measures in place, since shoe technology has become a front-burner issue last year, to regulate technological innovation and giving athletes an unfair advantage.
Current regulations of the World Athletics allow for shoes to have a maximum thickness of between 20-25mm depending on the event, while they can go up to 40mm for road races.
According to the World Athletics governing body, sprint spikes cannot have soles that are thicker than 20mm, which is the same as the shoes Amusan was wearing on Sunday.
Sole thicknesses for all athletic shoes in track and field events will be simplified to a stack height of 20mm from Nov. 1, 2024, World Athletics said in December.
The World Athletics in 2020, further reviewed its rules governing shoe technology, which are designed to give certainty to athletes preparing for the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and to preserve the integrity of elite competition.
These amendments, approved by the World Athletics Council and introduced with immediate effect, are based on significant discussions with the Working Group on Athletic Shoes, and with the shoe manufacturers.
They include changes to the maximum height of spiked shoes for track and field events and the establishment of an ‘Athletic Shoe Availability Scheme’ for unsponsored elite athletes. The maximum height for road shoes (40mm) remains unchanged.
The Adidas Adizero Avanti shoes
The Adidas Adizero Avanti ultralight racing shoes, made in part with recycled materials, are designed for runners, who compete in 5-10 km races.
According to Adidas, the shoes reduce fatigue, and help athletes to finish their races with a kick.
The design company wrote on its website, “We took two top technologies from our road racers and retooled them for the track. A layer of Lightstrike Pro above the spike plate offers maximum cushioning while ENERGYRODS provide a snappy, propulsive ride with high traction.”
