Nugent was followed closely by her compatriot, Danielle Williams, who finished in second place with a time of 12.43s. American hurdler Tonea Marshall placed third in 12.47s, just ahead of Nigeria's Tobi Amusan, who finished fourth in 12.48s.
The impressive times from all four athletes in the first heat set the stage for a highly competitive final and underscore the excellent form of the world's top hurdlers as they build toward upcoming championships.