Zurich's Letzigrund stadium witnessed an exceptional evening of athletics on Thursday. In under 40 minutes, Alison dos Santos and Masai Russell broke the world records in the 400m hurdles and 100m hurdles, respectively. Mondo Duplantis had to clear 6,25m to overcome a rampant Emmanouil Karalis, before the two men attempted 6,32m together. Audrey Werro clocked a phenomenal 1:53.70 in the 800m, while Julien Alfred edged out Melissa Jefferson-Wooden by a thousandth of a second in the 100m. This string of impressive performances makes the Swiss meet one of the key events of the 2026 season.
Alison dos Santos breaks Karsten Warholm's world record
The first thunderbolt came in the 400m hurdles. Alison dos Santos completed the lap in 45.80 seconds , lowering Karsten Warholm's world record by 14 hundredths of a second. The Norwegian had held the world record since the Tokyo 2021 Olympic final, run in 45.94 seconds. Starting just behind Warholm, the Brazilian quickly closed the gap before taking a decisive lead in the second half of the race. In the final straight, he pulled away to claim the record. Warholm finished second in 46.69 seconds, ahead of Nigeria's Ezekiel Nathaniel, who finished third in 47.50 seconds. World champion in 2022 and a two-time Olympic bronze medalist, Dos Santos, at 26 years old, becomes the fastest man in history over 400m hurdles.
Masai Russell shatters the 100m hurdles record
The crowd had barely had time to digest the Brazilian's performance when Masai Russell struck in turn. The American won the 100m hurdles in 12.09 seconds , with no wind, and erased the world record of 12.12 seconds set by Nigerian Tobi Amusan at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene. An Olympic champion in the event, Russell had already come very close to this mark this season. In Zurich, she became the first woman to break the 12.10-second barrier. Amusan herself ran an excellent race but had to settle for second place in 12.23 seconds, ahead of the Dutchwoman Nadine Visser in 12.34 seconds. Two world records thus fell on the Letzigrund track in less than 40 minutes.
Karalis grows Duplantis up to 6,25 m
The men's pole vault competition offered an equally spectacular duel. Emmanouil Karalis challenged Mondo Duplantis for much of the competition. Both men cleared 6,10m, before the Greek improved his personal best to 6,20m . Duplantis had previously cleared 6,15m, before responding with a jump of 6,25m, a height that ultimately secured him the victory. Never before had two pole vaulters surpassed the 6,20m mark in a competition. Karalis thus confirms his status as the Swede's main rival at the pinnacle of the sport.
Duplantis and Karalis together attempt 6,32 m
The spectacle didn't end with Duplantis' victory. Both men then requested a height of 6,32m , one centimeter above the Swede's world record of 6,31m. Neither Duplantis nor Karalis managed to clear it, although some attempts kept the suspense alive. Duplantis therefore won the competition with 6,25m, and Karalis finished second with his personal best of 6,20m. For the first time, two pole vaulters found themselves simultaneously attempting a world record above 6,30m in the same competition.
Audrey Werro is only 42 hundredths of a second off the world record
Switzerland also experienced a momentous occasion with Audrey Werro. Competing on home soil, the young Swiss athlete won the 800m in 1:53.70 , a new national record, the best performance in the world this year, and a Diamond League record. Most notably, she is now dangerously close to Jarmila Kratochvilova's legendary world record of 1:53.28, set in 1983. She is now just 42 hundredths of a second away. Werro finished ahead of the Dutch runner Femke Broeders-Bol, who came second in 1:54.71, also delivering an exceptional performance, and Great Britain's Georgia Hunter Bell, who finished third in 1:55.03. At just 22 years old, Werro has now run three sub-1:54s in 2026.
Julien Alfred beat Melissa Jefferson-Wooden by a thousandth
The women's 100m also delivered a spectacular finish. Julien Alfred and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden were both credited with 10.70 seconds , despite an unfavorable wind of -0,7 m/s. The Olympic champion from Saint Lucia was ultimately declared the winner after a photo finish review, by mere thousandths of a second. Alfred also set a new national record in the process. Jefferson-Wooden, the reigning world champion, suffered her first 100m defeat since August 2024. Sha'Carri Richardson completed the podium in 10.97 seconds.
Wanyonyi in 1'41''76, Bednarek in 19''62
Top-level performances abounded throughout the evening. In the men's 800m, Emmanuel Wanyonyi won in 1 :41.76 , the world's best time this year. In the 200m, American Kenneth Bednarek also set a new world-leading time of 19.62 . Anna Cockrell won the women's 400m hurdles in 52.13, another world-leading time this year and a new meet record.
An evening that will go down in the history of the Letzigrund
Two world records, two simultaneous attempts at 6,32m in the pole vault, a women's 800m within 42 hundredths of a second of the oldest world record in track and field, a women's 100m decided by a thousandth of a second, and several world-leading performances of the year: Zurich packed a series of exceptional performances into just a few hours. Alison dos Santos and Masai Russell emerged with two new world records, while Duplantis, Karalis, Werro, Alfred, Wanyonyi, and Bednarek helped transform this Diamond League meet into one of the most memorable evenings of athletics in 2026.
