Masai Russell and Alison dos Santos both set world records in their signature hurdle events on Thursday at the Weltklasse Zürich Diamond League meeting Letzigrund Stadium in charged night of late season theatrics.
Just days after bolting to a 46.43 world lead in the men’s 400m hurdles in Silesia, dos Santos pushed his own mark to the side with a 45.80 world record that seemed destined as he tore through the race circuit this season.
A clean start was all dos Santos needed as he established an early lead that he extended through the final turn as he cleared the final barrier and kicked to the finish. Karsten Warholm was second in 46.69 and Ezekiel Nathaniel finished third in 47.50.
“The crowd and the energy were perfect,” dos Santos said. “I think this night was amazing for me, for those who came to watch – I did it for everybody. Also, for those watching from home. I hope that Brazil stopped to watch this as much as the people here in the stadium. This has been an incredible night. I have no words to explain what happened other than I just broke the World Record. I have been showing a great form throughout the season – that I am fast, I am strong.
Russell would feed off of the energy of dos Santos and surged to her own world record in the women’s 100m in 12.09 in a storybook finish after spending the bulk of the season getting closer to the mark in several dominating performances.
From the first barrier to the final, Russell was locked in and poised as she inched into an early lead that she would not surrender. Even with Tobi Amusan in the field — and holder of the record at the time — Russell was intent on sticking to a flawless program as she took the win and 0.03 seconds off the previous mark.
Amusan was second in 12.23 while Nadine Visser took third in 12.34.
“When I saw 12.09, I just knew I got it and I just got so emotional,” Russell said. “I dreamed about this moment for so long, and then hearing the crowd, like this is the best place I could have ever imagined to break the world record. When I heard that Alison dos Santo broke the world record, in the back of my mind, I was trying to focus and lock in, but I knew the track was hot. I got a lot of motivation from him for sure.”
Meanwhile the tone of the evening was full of emotion from the opening event as world leading marks were part of the record breaking theme as Emmanuel Wanyonyi soared to a 1:41.76 world lead in the men’s 800m over Djamel Sedjati (1:41.83) and Slimane Moula (1:43.52).
Anna Cockrell grabbed her own world leading time, taking the women’s 400m hurdles in 52.13 as she edged past Dalilah Muhammad (53.16) and Rushell Clayton (53.17) as Audrey Werro carried the home crowd support into her own world lead with 1:53.70 win in the women’s 800m over Femke Broeders-Bol (1:54.71) and Georgia Hunter Bell (1:55.03).
In the men’s 200m, Kenny Bednarek closed out the meet with at 19.62 world lead in a dominant victory ahead of Sinesipho Dambile (19.82) and Andre De Grasse (20.03) while a tense women’s 100m was decided in a photo finish 10.70 win for Julien Alfred who barely took the race in a final lean past Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (10.70) and Sha’Carri Richardson (10.97).
Mondo Duplantis leaped to a 6.25m win in the men’s pole vault over Emmanouil Karalis (6.20m) and Sondre Guttormsen (6.00m) as Parker Wolfe legged out a 7:27.43 victory in the men’s 3,000m past Graham Blanks (7:27.92) and Cam Myers (7:27.97) and Faith Cherotich kicked late to take the women’s 3,000m steeplechase in 8:55.82 over Doris Lemngole (8:55.94) and Peruth Chemutai (8:58.28).
2026 Diamond League Zurich Results
Women’s Pole Vault
1. Hana Moll (USA) – 4.90m
2. Angelica Moser (Switzerland) – 4.85m
3. Katie Moon (USA) – 4.75m
Women’s High Jump
1. Nicola Olyslagers (Australian) – 2.02m
2. Iryna Gerashchenko (Ukraine) – 2.00m
3. Marija Vuković (Montenegro) – 1.98m
Women’s 1,500m
1. Ludovica Cavalli (Italy) – 4:03.27
2. Heather MacLean (USA) – 4:03.57
3. Marta Garcia (Spain) – 4:03.86
Men’s Pole Vault
1. Mondo Duplantis – 6.25m
2. Emmanouil Karalis (Greece) – 6.20m
3. Sondre Guttormsen (Norway) – 6.00m
Men’s Shot Put
1. Jordan Geist (USA) – 22.53m
2. Rajindra Campbell (Jamaica) – 22.22m
3. Leonardo Fabbri (Italy) – 22.16m
Men’s 400m
1. Yuki Joseph Nakajima (Japan) – 44.62
2. Edoardo Scotti (Italy) – 44.70
3. Kirani James (Grenada) – 44.83
Men’s 110m Hurdles
1. Jason Joseph (Switzerland) – 13.11
2. Trey Cunningham (USA) – 13.19
3. Enzo Diessl (Austria) – 13.22
Women’s 200m
1. Fabienne Hoenke (Switzerland) – 22.53
2. Torrie Lewis (Australia) – 22.66
3. Jaël Bestué (Spain) – 22.74
Women’s 400m Hurdles
1. Anna Cockrell (USA) – 52.13 WL
2. Dalilah Muhammad (USA) – 53.16
3. Rushell Clayton (Jamaica) – 53.17
Men’s 3,000m
1. Parker Wolfe (USA) – 7:27.43
2. Graham Blanks (USA) – 7:27.92
3. Cameron Myers (Australia) – 7:27.97
Men’s Long Jump
1. Miltiádis Tentóglou – 8.45m
2. Tajay Gayle (Jamaica) – 8.43m
3. Wayne Pinnock (Jamaica) – 8.33m
Women’s 100m
1. Julien Alfred (St. Lucia) – 10.70
2. Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (USA) – 10.70
3. Sha’Carri Richardson (USA) – 10.97
Men’s 400m Hurdles
1. Alison dos Santos (Brazil) – 45.80 WR
2. Karsten Warholm (Norway) – 46.69
3. Ezekiel Nathaniel (Nigeria) – 47.50
Men’s Javelin
1. Rumesh Tharanga (Sri Lanka) – 92.07m
2. Anderson Peters (Grenada) – 86.93m
3. Dawid Wegner (Poland) – 85.16m
Women’s 3,000m Steeplechase
1. Faith Cherotich (Kenya) – 8:55.82
2. Doris Lemngole (Kenya) – 8:55.94
3. Peruth Chemutai (Uganda) – 8:58.28
Men’s 800m
Emmanuel Wanyonyi (Kenya) – 1:41.76 WL
Djamel Sedjati (Algeria) – 1:41.83
Slimane Moula (Algeria) – 1:43.52
Women’s 100m Hurdles
1. Masai Russell (USA) – 12.09 WR
2. Tobi Amusan (Nigeria) – 12.23
3. Nadine Visser (The Netherlands) – 12.34
Men’s 1,500m
1. Cole Hocker (USA) – 3:31.71
2. Phanuel Koech (Kenya) – 3:31.84
3. Yared Nuguse (USA) – 3:31.85
Women’s 800m
1. Audrey Werro (Switzerland) – 1:53.70 WL
2. Femke Broeders-Bol (The Netherlands) – 1:54.71
3. Georgia Hunter Bell (Great Britain) – 1:55.03
Men’s 200m
1. Kenny Bednarek (USA) – 19.62 WL
2. Sinesipho Dambile (South Africa) – 19.82
3. Andre De Grasse (Canada) – 20.03
