RUSSELL REWRITES HISTORY, OVERTAKES AMUSAN IN ZURICH HURDLES RACE

American Olympic champion Masai Russell has broken Nigerian star Tobi Amusan’s world record in the women’s 100m hurdles at the Zurich Diamond League.

Russell produced a stunning performance on Thursday, clocking 12.09 seconds to lower Amusan’s previous world record of 12.12 seconds, which the Nigerian set at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, United States.

The 26-year-old American dominated the race from the early stages and maintained her advantage through the final hurdles before crossing the finish line in record-breaking time.

Amusan, who had held the world record for four years, also delivered a strong performance in Zurich, finishing second in 12.23 seconds. Her time represented her season’s best.

Russell’s latest achievement marks another major milestone in what has been an impressive 2026 season for the American hurdler. She had already run 12.14 seconds earlier this year, making her the second-fastest woman in history before her record-breaking performance in Zurich.

The Zurich race also provided a remarkable head-to-head encounter between the athlete who held the world record and the woman who eventually surpassed it.

Russell entered the competition as the reigning Olympic champion, having won the women’s 100m hurdles gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Her victory in Zurich further underlined her emergence as one of the leading athletes in the event.

For Amusan, the result ends her four-year reign at the top of the world record list, although her 12.12-second mark remains one of the most remarkable performances in the history of women’s sprint hurdles.

Russell’s new record was achieved without any wind assistance, making the 12.09-second performance a legitimate world record. She also became the first woman to officially run the event in under 12.10 seconds.

The Zurich Diamond League meeting therefore produced a historic moment for athletics, with Russell taking the record from Amusan while the Nigerian remained firmly among the world’s elite hurdlers after finishing second.

Russell will now look to build on her record-breaking performance as the 2026 athletics season continues, while Amusan will aim to respond in her upcoming races and challenge for another major title.