American Olympic champion Masai Russell produced a stunning performance at the Zurich Diamond League on Thursday, breaking Tobi Amusan’s world record in the women’s 100m hurdles and ending the Nigerian’s four-year reign at the top of the event.
Russell clocked an extraordinary 12.09 seconds at the Weltklasse Zürich meeting to win the race and lower Amusan’s previous world record of 12.12 seconds, set at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
The American’s victory was made even more remarkable by the fact that Amusan herself was competing in the same race. The Nigerian responded with an impressive season-best time of 12.23 seconds to finish second, while the Netherlands’ Nadine Visser completed the podium in 12.34 seconds.
Russell’s record-breaking performance was one of the biggest highlights of an extraordinary night in Zurich, where the crowd witnessed two world records in the space of less than 40 minutes.
Before Russell stepped onto the track, Brazil’s Alison dos Santos had already smashed the men’s 400m hurdles world record with a sensational 45.80 seconds, surpassing Karsten Warholm’s previous mark of 45.94 seconds from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Russell then delivered another historic performance, ensuring Zurich became the scene of an unforgettable double world-record night.
The American entered the race in remarkable form. She had already established herself as one of the leading 100m hurdlers in the world during 2026, including a previous best of 12.14 seconds in Xiamen earlier in the season.
That performance had placed her just 0.02 seconds away from Amusan’s world record and suggested that the Nigerian’s long-standing mark was under serious threat.
Russell’s start in Zurich immediately demonstrated her intentions. She exploded out of the blocks and quickly established herself among the leaders, maintaining her rhythm over the hurdles while Amusan remained within striking distance.
As the race approached the final hurdles, Russell began to create decisive separation. She maintained her composure through the final barrier and powered across the finish line in 12.09 seconds.
The stadium erupted as the time appeared on the scoreboard.
Russell had not only won the Diamond League race but had also rewritten one of athletics’ most prestigious records.
Her time was 0.03 seconds faster than Amusan’s 12.12 world record, which the Nigerian had set in extraordinary fashion during the semi-final of the 2022 World Championships.
Amusan’s record had stood for four years and established her as the first Nigerian athlete to hold a global athletics world record. Its longevity made Russell’s achievement even more significant.
Despite losing her world record, Amusan delivered a strong response on the track. Her 12.23 seconds represented a season best and showed that she remains capable of competing at the highest level.
The Nigerian finished ahead of several leading hurdlers, including Jamaica’s Danielle Williams and Ackera Nugent, Poland’s Pia Skrzyszowska and Switzerland’s Ditaji Kambundji.
For Amusan, the result will undoubtedly be disappointing because of the loss of her world record, but her performance also provided encouragement ahead of the major competitions still remaining on the athletics calendar.
Russell, meanwhile, has continued what has been an extraordinary unbeaten season.
The American’s victory in Zurich represented her 11th consecutive 100m hurdles race without defeat in 2026, underlining her dominance throughout the campaign. Her previous 12.14-second performance had already placed her second on the all-time list, but she finally found the extra speed needed to surpass Amusan’s mark.
The new world record also adds another major achievement to Russell’s career. The 26-year-old already holds Olympic gold in the event and has now added the world record to her growing collection of accomplishments.
The Zurich meeting therefore produced a fascinating changing of the guard in the women’s 100m hurdles. Amusan remains one of the greatest athletes in the history of the event, but Russell has now taken the sport to another level with her 12.09-second run.
For Nigerian athletics supporters, Amusan’s second-place finish will be a bittersweet result. The 12.23 seconds was her season’s best, but the spotlight belonged to Russell after the American finally broke the barrier that had appeared almost untouchable for four years.
With the Diamond League season heading towards its climax and other major competitions still ahead, both athletes will have opportunities to continue their rivalry.
Russell leaves Zurich with a world record and another victory, while Amusan leaves with a season-best performance and the knowledge that she remains among the world’s elite.
One thing, however, is now certain: the 12.12-second mark that made Tobi Amusan a global athletics icon has been replaced.
Masai Russell is the new women’s 100m hurdles world-record holder, with a breathtaking 12.09 seconds in Zurich.
