Ja'Kobe Tharp Shatters 110m Hurdles World Record at NCAA Championships
Ja'Kobe Tharp made history on Wednesday, breaking the 110m hurdles world record during the heats at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championships held in Eugene, Oregon. The 20-year-old from Auburn, Alabama, clocked an astonishing 12.75 seconds, surpassing the previous record of 12.80 seconds set by fellow American Aries Merritt in September 2012. Tharp's achievement is particularly significant as he becomes the first athlete to set a world record at the NCAA championships in 50 years. Prior to this, the collegiate record was held by Grant Holloway, who set it at 12.98 seconds in 2019. Previous best: 13.01 seconds New world record: 12.75 seconds Reflecting on his performance, Tharp expressed his surprise, stating, "I knew I was ready to drop something crazy. I knew what I was capable of, but I didn't know about that. It wasn't on my bingo chart for this meet, not at all. I'm speechless, seriously." Tharp will compete in the final on Friday, aiming to become the first hurdler since Holloway to win a second consecutive NCAA title.
Source: BBC Sport - 2026-06-11