US Hurdler Tharp Breaks 110-Meter Hurdles World Record at Age 20

Reactions from the Athlete

Speaking to Olympics.com, Tharp was stunned after the race. "I felt fast, but seeing this time leaves me speechless," said the student. At the same time, he was self-critical: "That wasn't a perfect race. In this round, it was about getting through, surviving, and moving on."

Looking ahead to the upcoming final, Tharp announced that he still had reserves. "I still have more in my legs," he said. He was nevertheless surprised by the result, explaining: "I knew I had it in my legs, but that was clearly not in my plan for this competition."

Development and Previous Best Performances

With a time of 12.75 seconds, Tharp significantly improved his previous outdoor personal best of 13.01 seconds from 2025 — by 26 hundredths of a second. The previous winter, he had already posted 7.32 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles, the third-fastest time ever recorded in that discipline.

His jump to the top of the world rankings comes as a surprise to the international athletics scene. At the World Championships in Tokyo in September 2025, Tharp had finished only sixth. He is now the first athlete since Dwight Stones — who set a world record in the high jump at the NCAA Championships roughly 50 years ago — to accomplish such a feat at the college championships.

Significance for Athletics

The NCAA Championships, the collegiate championships of American universities, are one of the most important stages for U.S. up-and-coming talent. Tharp is a student and hurdler; his home federation sends him to international competitions as an American. With his semifinal record, he could definitively establish himself at the national top.

For the world of athletics, the record marks the end of a long wait. Aries Merritt's mark had stood for 14 years and was considered one of the most difficult records to break in sprinting. Tharp's performance in Eugene ushers in a new era in the hurdles — with an athlete who, by his own account, has not yet reached his limit.