Masai Russell shatters Tobi Amusan’s 100m hurdles world record

American Olympic champion Masai Russell has ended Nigerian sprint hurdler Tobi Amusan’s four-year reign as the women’s 100m hurdles world record holder, clocking a stunning 12.09 seconds at the Weltklasse Zürich Diamond League on Thursday — bettering Amusan’s 12.12-second mark set at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

PM News reported that Russell’s performance came with no wind assistance, making the record fully legal. The 26-year-old Paris 2024 Olympic gold medallist delivered a decisive surge over the final hurdle to pull clear of Amusan, who finished second in 12.23 seconds — a season’s best.

The record-breaking run completes a dominant season for Russell, who had already clocked 12.14 seconds in Xiamen in May — previously the second-fastest performance in history.