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

American Olympic champion Masai Russell has broken Tobi Amusan’s four-year-old women’s 100m hurdles world record at the Zurich Diamond League, clocking 12.09 seconds to establish a new global benchmark.

Russell’s time improved Amusan’s previous record of 12.12 seconds, set at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, by three hundredths of a second. The performance marks another major milestone for Russell, whose previous personal best was 12.14 seconds.

Amusan finished second in the record-breaking race with a season’s best of 12.23 seconds, while Dutch hurdler Nadine Visser placed third in 12.34 seconds, also recording a season’s best. Russell established an early lead and maintained it through the finish, while Amusan remained competitive despite losing her world-record status. Amusan nevertheless retains the African record with her 12.12-second mark, while Russell’s latest performance strengthens her position among the world’s leading hurdlers.

Amusan’s 12.12 had stood as the world record since 2022 and represented one of the defining performances of her career. Russell’s 12.09 now sets a new standard for the event, adding to the American’s achievements following her Olympic success. For Amusan, the result marks the end of her reign as world-record holder but not her place among the elite of the discipline.