Alison dos Santos lowers 400m hurdles world record to 45.80 seconds

Brazilian hurdler Alison dos Santos has broken the men’s 400-metre hurdles world record, winning at the Diamond League meeting in Zurich in 45.80 seconds. The time cut 0.14 seconds from Karsten Warholm’s 45.94 mark, set at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Dos Santos took control from the opening stages at Letzigrund Stadium and maintained his speed through the home straight. Warholm finished second in 46.69 and later congratulated his rival with a hug.

For dos Santos, the result marked a major advance in an already distinguished career. The 2022 world champion said adjustments to his training and race preparation had helped him start faster and finish more strongly. His Zurich victory was his fifth on the 2026 Diamond League circuit, where he remained unbeaten, and made him the first Brazilian in 50 years to set an athletics world record.

The achievement also helped set the tone for an exceptional evening of hurdling. About 40 minutes later, American Olympic champion Masai Russell ran 12.09 seconds in the women’s 100-metre hurdles, lowering Tobi Amusan’s 2022 world record by 0.03 seconds. Russell said news of dos Santos’s performance gave her motivation as she prepared to race.

After crossing the line, dos Santos stared at the clock before pumping his arm in amazement. He described the crowd and atmosphere as perfect, while Warholm praised his performance as brilliant.