Two world records fall at Letzigrund in Zurich
Alison dos Santos (400m hurdles) and Masai Russell (100m hurdles) set new world records at Letzigrund on August 27, 2026.
Two world records fell at Letzigrund Stadium in Zurich on the night of August 27, 2026, when Brazil's Alison dos Santos and American Masai Russell ran landmark times in the 400m hurdles and 100m hurdles respectively.
In the men's 400 metres hurdles, Alison dos Santos produced a performance long anticipated by track fans: he lowered the previous world record of 45.94 seconds to 45.80, improving the mark by 0.14 seconds. Norway's Karsten Warholm, the man who had held the record and won Olympic gold in Tokyo five years earlier, finished second.
Dos Santos's run ended a period of close rivalry at the top of the event and represented a clear statement in the build-up to the season's final meetings. The new 45.80 now stands as the fastest time ever recorded over the distance with hurdles.
On the women's side, American Masai Russell electrified the crowd over 100 metres hurdles, stopping the clock at 12.09 seconds. That time bettered Nigeria's Tobi Amusan's world record set in Eugene in 2022 by 0.03 seconds.
Diamond League warm-up
Both performances came at the last Diamond League meeting in Zurich before the circuit's final in Brussels, turning the Letzigrund night into a preview of what may come at the championship decider.
Athletes, coaches and fans will now turn their attention to Brussels expecting another high-stakes clash after the double world records in Zurich reshaped the lists and raised anticipation for the season finale.
Photo: press material from the event
