American hurdler Masai Russell broke Nigerian sprint hurdler Tobi Amusan's world record in the women's 100m hurdles on Thursday. She clocked 12.09 seconds at the Zurich Diamond League.
World Athletics reported on the event, saying the Olympic champion had a "flawless run" over the hurdles. She beat Amusan's previous record of 12.12 seconds by 0.03 seconds.
Amusan finished second with a season's best of 12.23 seconds. The European champion, Nadine Visser from the Netherlands, came in third with a time of 12.34 seconds.
This performance made Russell the new world record holder, American record holder, and the fastest woman ever recorded in the 100m hurdles. World Athletics lists Russell's 12.09 as the latest world record, achieved at the Letzigrund stadium in Zurich on August 27, 2026.
Who is Masai Russell?
Russell was born on June 17, 2000. She is 26 years old and hails from Upper Marlboro, Maryland. She specializes in the 100m hurdles.
World Athletics describes her as an Olympic champion and ranks her No. 1 in the world for the women's 100m hurdles. Before her record-breaking run, she was already among the best hurdlers globally.
Russell's big moment came at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where she won gold in the women's 100m hurdles. World Athletics later described her as a fighter, highlighting her steady rise to the sport's elite.
From College Star to Olympic Champion
Russell attended the University of Kentucky, where she built a strong college career.
Kentucky Athletics noted she was an 11-time All-American, competing in the 100m hurdles, 400m hurdles, and relay events. She won NCAA silver medals in the 100m hurdles, 400m hurdles, and 4x100m relay in 2023. She also finished as the runner-up in the NCAA Indoor 60m hurdles and won an SEC Indoor 60m hurdles title.
Kentucky Athletics reported that Russell set a collegiate record in the 100m hurdles at 12.36 seconds during the 2023 Texas Relays. She was named a semifinalist for The Bowerman award, given to the top collegiate track and field athlete in the U.S.
She Was Already Threatening Amusan's Record
Russell's world record in Zurich was not a big surprise. In May 2026, she ran 12.14 seconds in Xiamen, China, getting close to Amusan's record.
World Athletics said that run was the second-fastest time in women's 100m hurdles history and confirmed Russell as the second-fastest ever in the event. That performance also set American and Diamond League records.
With Amusan's record still standing, Russell showed she was close to breaking it.
The Record Finally Fell in Zurich
At the Zurich Diamond League on Thursday, Russell performed brilliantly. World Athletics reported that she had come close to the record twice earlier in the year.
She ran 12.09 seconds with a legal wind reading of 0.0m/s, beating Amusan's time by three hundredths of a second. Russell said she felt something special as she approached the finish. "When I saw 12.09, I got so emotional," she shared. She had dreamed of this moment for a long time and called Zurich the perfect place to break the record.
Interestingly, Amusan was not just watching. She ran in the same race and finished second in 12.23 seconds, her season's best. This made the race significant, as the record holder was on the track when Russell broke her record.
How Amusan Set the Record
Amusan made history at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon, U.S. World Athletics noted she ran 12.12 seconds in the semi-final with a legal tailwind of 0.9m/s, setting the world record.
She later won the world title. Amusan also ran 12.06 seconds in the final, but this time was not recognized as a world record due to high wind readings.
World Athletics officially ratified the 12.12 as the women's 100m hurdles world record. It stood for over four years until Russell's 12.09.
Olympic Champion Before World-Record Holder
Russell's record-breaking run comes two years after she became Olympic champion. At Paris 2024, she won the gold medal in the women's 100m hurdles with a time of 12.33 seconds.
Her Olympic qualification was impressive. At the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, Russell won the 100m hurdles in 12.25 seconds, earning her spot on the American Olympic team. USATF lists the 12.25 as the winning mark from the Trials.
She then went on to win Olympic gold in Paris.
Her 2026 Season Has Been Remarkable
The Zurich record is just another highlight in Russell's amazing 2026 season. World Athletics reported she entered the Zurich meeting after coming close to Amusan's record twice this year.
At the Lausanne Diamond League on August 21, Russell won the women's 100m hurdles in 12.27 seconds, marking her ninth victory of the season. Reuters stated this win showed her dominance leading into Zurich.
Then she produced the performance that everyone expected, 12.09 seconds and a new world record.
Russell's Record-Breaking Numbers
Achievement
Mark
New world record
12.09s
Previous record, Tobi Amusan
12.12s
Improvement
0.03s
Wind
0.0m/s
Olympic title
Paris 2024
Previous 2026 best
12.14s
60m hurdles PB
7.74s
Birth date
June 17, 2000
Nationality
United States
Event
100m hurdles
World Athletics lists Russell's previous personal best as 12.14 seconds, recorded in May 2026, before her 12.09 world record in Zurich.
What Next for Russell?
This record comes at an important time in the 2026 athletics season. World Athletics mentioned the Wanda Diamond League Final in Brussels is next week, along with the World Athletics Ultimate Championship.
Russell now has a chance to make this historic season even bigger. For now, she has achieved what seemed impossible just months ago: the Olympic champion is now the fastest 100m hurdler in history.
She did this while competing against Tobi Amusan, the woman whose record she broke.
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