Ja’Kobe Tharp, a 20-year-old hurdler from Auburn, Alabama, achieved an unexpected milestone by breaking the 110m hurdles world record during the heats of the American college championships. This historic event took place at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championships in Eugene, Oregon, on Wednesday.
Record-Breaking Performance
Tharp clocked an impressive time of 12.75 seconds, shattering the previous world record of 12.80 seconds, which was held by Aries Merritt since September 2012. The record was set in Brussels, and Tharp’s performance is particularly noteworthy as he became the first athlete to set a world record at the NCAA championships in 50 years.
Previous Records
- World Record: 12.75 seconds by Ja’Kobe Tharp
- Previous World Record: 12.80 seconds by Aries Merritt (2012)
- Previous Collegiate Record: 12.98 seconds by Grant Holloway (2019)
Tharp’s previous personal best was 13.01 seconds. While he aimed to improve on that time, he did not anticipate surpassing it by more than a quarter of a second to set a new world record.
Tharp’s Remarks
After his remarkable performance, Tharp expressed his astonishment, 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.”
Upcoming Finals
Tharp is set to compete in the final on Friday, aiming to become the first hurdler to win consecutive NCAA titles since Grant Holloway in 2019.
