Masai Russell Shatters Tobi Amusan’s World Record In Zurich

American Olympic champion Masai Russell has shattered Tobi Amusan’s long-standing women’s 100m hurdles world record, clocking a sensational 12.09 seconds at the Zurich Diamond League.

Russell produced a stunning performance to take three hundredths of a second off Amusan’s previous world record of 12.12 seconds, set at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

The American’s historic run brings an end to Amusan’s four-year reign as the fastest woman ever over the 100m hurdles, although the Nigerian remains the African record-holder with the 12.12 mark.

Russell’s 12.09 seconds also underlined her status as one of the leading forces in the event following her Olympic triumph, as she produced a run that rewrote the record books in Zurich.

Amusan, meanwhile, finished second in 12.23 seconds, setting a season’s best in a performance that nevertheless saw her world record finally surpassed.

Dutch hurdler Nadine Visser completed the podium in 12.34 seconds, also recording a season’s best.

The result marks a remarkable development in a discipline that has been dominated by Amusan in recent years. The Nigerian’s 12.12-second world record, set in a blistering semi-final at the 2022 World Championships, had stood for four years before Russell’s breakthrough.

Despite losing the global record, Amusan retains the African record and remains firmly among the world’s elite hurdlers.

Russell’s 12.09 now establishes a new benchmark for the women’s 100m hurdles and adds another landmark achievement to the American’s rapidly growing career.

Zurich Diamond League – Women’s 100m Hurdles

1. Masai Russell (USA) — 12.09s — World Record
2. Tobi Amusan (NGR) — 12.23s — Season’s Best
3. Nadine Visser (NED) — 12.34s — Season’s Best