Masai Russell Breaks Tobi Amusan’s 100m Hurdles World Record in Zurich

American sprint hurdler Masai Russell has set a new women’s 100m hurdles world record after producing a stunning performance at the Zurich Diamond League, surpassing the mark previously held by Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan.

Russell crossed the finish line in 12.09 seconds, shaving three hundredths of a second off Amusan’s long-standing record of 12.12 seconds. The achievement establishes the Olympic champion as the fastest woman ever over the event.

The race carried added significance as Amusan, who set the previous record in 2022, was among the competitors. The Nigerian star finished second with a season-best time of 12.23 seconds, while Dutch athlete Nadine Visser came third in 12.34 seconds.

Born in Maryland, United States, Russell has steadily risen through the ranks of international athletics. A former University of Kentucky standout, she enjoyed a highly successful collegiate career before transitioning to the professional stage.

Her breakthrough came at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where she claimed gold in the women’s 100m hurdles. Since then, she has maintained her status as one of the world’s leading hurdlers.

Russell had shown signs of challenging the world record earlier in the season when she ran 12.14 seconds, one of the fastest times ever recorded in the event. That performance fueled expectations that Amusan’s mark could soon be under threat.

Those predictions became reality in Zurich, where Russell delivered a flawless race under legal wind conditions to secure a place in athletics history.

Amusan’s record had stood for more than four years after she set it during the World Athletics Championships in Oregon. Her achievement was widely celebrated and remained unbeaten until Russell’s historic run.

The American now heads into the final stages of the athletics season with momentum on her side, having added a world record to her Olympic title and cemented her place among the sport’s all-time greats.