In a semi-final race that was held on Friday, Amusan returned a time of 12.55 seconds to finish third behind Grace Stark of the United States who came first, and Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas, who finished as first runner-up.

Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico, Amusan’s fiercest rival coming into the tournament, qualified for the finals after finishing first in another semi-final race with a season’s best of 12.35 seconds.

With this latest development, Nigeria’s chances of winning a medal at the Olympics have become slimmer.

The disappointing performance which saw Tobi Amusan finish a lowly ninth overall was a huge blow for the nation, which had pinned its hopes on her exceptional performance.

Meanwhile, the women’s 110m hurdles semi-finals were a dramatic spectacle, with only 0.01 seconds separating the top two finishers.

American Kendra Johnson clinched victory with a time of 12.34 seconds while defending Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico finished just behind in 12.35 seconds.