Two World Records Fall in Zurich

Dos Santos and Russell shatter hurdles world records in a thrilling Diamond League night.

Brazil's Alison dos Santos smashed the men's 400m hurdles world record with a stunning run of 45.80 seconds at the Zurich Diamond League on Thursday, erasing the previous mark of 45.94 seconds set by Norway's Karsten Warholm at the Tokyo Olympics. Warholm finished second and called the discipline a "crazy event." Then American Masai Russell broke the women's 100m hurdles world record with a time of 12.09 seconds, taking three hundredths off the 12.12 set by Nigeria's Tobi Amusan at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene. Both record-setters collected cheques for $80,000 each. The Letzigrund Stadium hosted a raucous sellout crowd of 25,000 for the penultimate Diamond League meet of the season.

Two hurdles world records falling in a single Diamond League meeting is extraordinarily rare, and the Zurich crowd witnessed exactly that. World Athletics President Sebastian Coe, looking on, had said before the meeting that he expected "the Olympic Games in two hours." The balmy, still weather conditions at the Letzigrund helped create an ideal environment for fast times. Adding to the drama, Armand "Mondo" Duplantis and Greece's Emmanouil Karalis engaged in a pole vault duel that produced another historic moment: both men cleared 6.20 metres, the first time in vaulting history two athletes surpassed that mark in one competition. Duplantis won with a clearance at 6.25 metres before both attempted a would-be world record of 6.32 metres.

Dos Santos's 45.80 seconds lowered Warholm's Olympic-record mark of 45.94. According to Streamline Feed, Warholm finished second in 46.69 seconds. Russell's 12.09 came in zero wind conditions, with Amusan finishing as runner-up in 12.23 seconds, per Streamline Feed. Russell reportedly celebrated with a finger to her lips, referencing online comments doubting her. In the women's 800m, Swiss favourite Audrey Werro won in 1:53.70, the third-fastest time in history and just 0.42 seconds shy of Jarmila Kratochvilova's world record of 1:53.28, which has stood since 1983. Kenya's Emmanuel Wanyonyi won the men's 800m in a world-leading 1:41.76, holding off Algeria's Djamel Sedjati by 0.07 seconds, but David Rudisha's 1:40.91 world record survived.

The Zurich meeting delivered a showcase of athletics at its peak, with multiple world records and personal bests thrilling a capacity crowd. Dos Santos said afterward that the crowd and energy were perfect and that he hoped Brazil had stopped to watch. The 22-year-old Werro has now posted three of the five fastest women's 800m times in history this season, according to BBC, becoming the third-fastest woman ever and moving within half a second of a record that has stood for over four decades. Karalis, reflecting on the pole vault duel, said it was "not every day two people go for the world record" and called the experience "nuts." The depth of performances signals a remarkably strong period for track and field.

The Diamond League season concludes with the series final in Brussels on 4 and 5 September, according to BBC. Then the inaugural World Ultimate Championships take place in Budapest from 11 to 13 September, as reported by Streamline Feed. BBC also notes that the women's-only track and field meet Athlos comes to London for the first time on 18 September. Georgia Hunter Bell, who finished third in the women's 800m in a season's best of 1:55.03, said she still has the Ultimate Championships in Budapest in her focus, where she will target the 1500m. After Zurich's record-breaking night, the hurdles fields travel to Budapest with the record holders leading the way rather than chasing.