American hurdler Masai Russell has rewritten the record books after clocking a stunning 12.09 seconds in the women’s 100m hurdles at the Zurich Diamond League on Thursday.
The Olympic champion’s flawless performance at Zurich’s Letzigrund Stadium saw her take 0.03 seconds off Nigerian star Tobi Amusan’s four-year-old world record of 12.12 seconds.
The achievement made Russell the new world record holder, American record holder and the fastest woman ever recorded in the 100m hurdles.
World Athletics confirmed Russell’s 12.09 seconds as the latest world record in the event, with the performance coming in a legal wind reading of 0.0m/s.
The moment was made even more remarkable by Amusan’s presence in the same race. The Nigerian, who had held the world record since 2022, finished second in a season’s best of 12.23 seconds, while Dutch European champion Nadine Visser took third in 12.34 seconds.
“When I saw 12.09, I got so emotional,” Russell said after the race, according to World Athletics.
Who is Masai Russell?
Born on June 17, 2000, in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, Russell is one of the leading figures in American sprint hurdling.
The 26-year-old specialises in the 100m hurdles and currently sits at the top of the world rankings in the event.
Her breakthrough on the biggest international stage came at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where she produced a composed performance to win the women’s 100m hurdles gold medal in 12.33 seconds.
That Olympic triumph marked the culmination of years of steady progress and established Russell as one of the world’s elite hurdlers.
From Kentucky star to Olympic champion
Russell developed into a major collegiate force at the University of Kentucky.
According to Kentucky Athletics, she became an 11-time All-American while competing in the 100m hurdles, 400m hurdles and relay events.
Her collegiate résumé included NCAA silver medals in the 100m hurdles, 400m hurdles and 4x100m relay in 2023. She also finished runner-up in the NCAA Indoor 60m hurdles and won the SEC Indoor 60m hurdles title.
In 2023, Russell set the collegiate record in the 100m hurdles when she ran 12.36 seconds at the Texas Relays.
Her outstanding season earned her semifinalist status for The Bowerman, one of the most prestigious awards in American collegiate track and field.
Russell had already been closing in on Amusan
Although her Zurich world record appeared spectacular, Russell had been threatening Amusan’s mark for months.
In May 2026, she ran 12.14 seconds in Xiamen, China, moving to within two hundredths of Amusan’s world record.
At the time, the performance was the second-fastest 100m hurdles time ever recorded and established Russell as the second-fastest athlete in the history of the event.
The run was also an American record and a Diamond League record.
It was a clear indication that Amusan’s long-standing world record was under serious threat.
The record falls in Zurich
Russell finally completed the mission in Zurich.
She powered over the barriers in 12.09 seconds, with no wind assistance, to beat Amusan’s 12.12 by three hundredths of a second.
World Athletics reported that Russell had already come close to the record twice during the 2026 season before producing the historic run in Zurich.
The American said she realised she had done something special as she approached the finish line.
Her victory was particularly significant because Amusan was competing directly against her.
The Nigerian finished second in 12.23 seconds, her best time of the season, while Visser crossed the line third in 12.34.
For more than four years, Amusan had been the woman at the top of the event’s record books. In Zurich, she watched from the track as Russell took her place.
How Tobi Amusan made history
Amusan established the previous world record at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon.
Running in the semi-final, the Nigerian clocked 12.12 seconds with a legal tailwind of 0.9m/s, breaking the previous world record and announcing herself as one of the greatest hurdlers in history.
She went on to win the world title.
Amusan then produced an even faster time of 12.06 seconds in the final. However, that mark could not be ratified as a world record because the wind reading of +2.5m/s exceeded the permitted limit.
Her 12.12-second semi-final time was subsequently ratified as the official world record and remained unbeaten for more than four years.
Until Russell arrived.
Olympic champion before becoming world-record holder
Russell’s world-record performance comes two years after her Olympic breakthrough.
At the 2024 US Olympic Trials, she won the women’s 100m hurdles in 12.25 seconds to secure her place on the American Olympic team.
She then delivered on the biggest stage in Paris, winning Olympic gold in 12.33 seconds.
That victory established Russell as an Olympic champion. Her Zurich performance has now added another distinction to her résumé.
She is the fastest woman ever recorded in the 100m hurdles.
A remarkable 2026 season
Russell’s world record is the latest achievement in what has been an extraordinary season.
Before arriving in Zurich, she had already recorded nine victories in 2026.
On August 21, she won the 100m hurdles at the Lausanne Diamond League meeting in 12.27 seconds, extending her remarkable winning run.
Six days later, she produced the performance that had been threatening to come.
Twelve-point-zero-nine seconds.
A new world record.
And a place in athletics history.
Russell’s record-breaking numbers
| Achievement | Mark |
|---|---|
| New world record | 12.09s |
| Previous world record – Tobi Amusan | 12.12s |
| Improvement | 0.03s |
| Wind reading | 0.0m/s |
| Olympic title | Paris 2024 |
| Previous 2026 best | 12.14s |
| 60m hurdles personal best | 7.74s |
| Date of birth | June 17, 2000 |
| Nationality | United States |
| Event | 100m hurdles |
What comes next?
Russell’s record-breaking performance arrives at a crucial stage of the athletics season.
The Wanda Diamond League Final in Brussels is scheduled for the following week, while the World Athletics Ultimate Championship is also approaching.
That gives the Olympic champion an opportunity to build on what has already become a historic campaign.
For now, though, Russell can savour an achievement that had seemed increasingly possible but remained incredibly difficult to accomplish.
She has gone from Olympic champion to world-record holder.
And perhaps most fittingly, she did it with the woman whose record she broke — Tobi Amusan — racing right beside her.
