The sprint hurdles at the World Championships in Athletics has been contested by both men and women since the inaugural edition of the championships in 1983. Traditionally, the men compete in the 110 metres hurdles while the women compete in the 100 metres hurdles.
Allen Johnson is the most successful athlete in the history of the event, winning 4 gold and 1 bronze medal between 1995 and 2003. The most successful female athlete is Gail Devers, winning 3 golds and 2 silvers between 1991 and 2001. The only other athletes who have won more than 3 medals are Liu Xiang and Sergey Shubenkov, both winning 1 gold, 2 silvers and 1 bronze between 2003 and 2011 and 2013 and 2019, respectively.
The United States is the most successful nation in the discipline, winning 20 gold medals in total: 12 in the men's event and 8 in the women's event. They have also won the most medals overall, with 44 medals total across both events. Jamaica is the only country other than the United States that has won a gold medal in both the men's and women's event, having won 14 medals in total, including 4 golds.
Great Britain has also seen significant success in the men's event, winning 2 gold, 4 silver and 3 bronze medals over the years. They have been less successful in the women's event, having won only one medal, a bronze in 2013.
The championship records for the event are 12.91 for men, set by Colin Jackson in 1993, and 12.12 s for women, set by Tobi Amusan in 2022. Coincidentally, these championships records are also the only two times that the world record has been broken at the World Championships. Additionally, Amusan ran a wind-aided 12.06 (+2.5 m/s) in the 2022 final.
The reiging world champions are Cordell Tinch of the United States and Ditaji Kambundji of Switzerland.
Age records All information from World Athletics. DistinctionMale FemaleAthleteAgeDateAthleteAgeDateYoungest champion 21 years, 75 days 20 Aug 2009 21 years, 364 days 17 Aug 2013Youngest medalist 20 years, 48 days 30 Aug 2003 21 years, 174 days 24 Jul 2022Youngest finalist19 years, 236 days30 Aug 200320 years, 290 days4 Sep 1987Youngest participant 18 years, 25 days 7 Aug 2001 17 years, 75 days 25 Aug 1999Oldest champion 33 years, 25 days 29 Aug 1991 34 years, 285 days 19 Aug 2009Oldest medalist 34 years, 164 days 12 Aug 2005 35 years, 129 days 28 Aug 1999Oldest finalist36 years, 19 days25 Aug 199935 years, 141 days27 Aug 2003Oldest participant 37 years, 279 days 16 Jul 2022 38 years, 68 days 19 Aug 2009
Medalists
Men
Multiple medalists Rank Athlete Nation PeriodGoldSilverBronze Total 1 Allen Johnson1995-2003 4 0 1 52Greg Foster1983-1991 3 0 0 3Grant Holloway2019-2023 3 0 0 34Colin Jackson 1987-1999 2 1 0 35Liu Xiang2003-2011 1 2 1 4Sergey Shubenkov2013-2019 1 2 1 47Terrence Trammell2003-2009 0 3 0 38Tony Jarrett1991-1995 0 2 1 39Anier García1999-20010202Hansle Parchment2015-2023 0 2 0 211Jack Pierce1991-1993 0 1 1 212David Payne 2007-2009 0 0 2 2
Women
Medal table
Multiple medalists Rank Athlete Nation PeriodGoldSilverBronze Total 1Gail Devers 1991-2001 3 2 0 52Sally Pearson 2011-2017 2 1 0 33Danielle Williams 2015-2023 2 0 1 3Ludmila Narozhilenko / Engquist 1991-1999 2 0 1 35Michelle Perry 2005-2007 2 0 0 26Brigitte Foster-Hylton 2003-2009 1 1 1 37Perdita Felicien 2003-2007 1 1 0 2Tobi Amusan2022-202511028Ginka Zagorcheva1983-198710129Delloreen Ennis-London 2005-2009 0 1 2 310Olga Shishigina1995-20010112Dawn Harper-Nelson 2011-2017 0 1 1 2Kendra Harrison 2019-2023 0 1 1 2Jasmine Camacho-Quinn2022-20230112
Championship record progression
Men +Men's 110 metres hurdles World Championships record progressionMain > Men, 110 m hurdles > World Championships Records Progression. Track and Field Brinkster. Retrieved on 2024-10-08.TimeAthleteNationYearRoundDate13.53Mark McKoy1983Heats1983-08-1113.44Arto Bryggare1983Heats1983-08-1113.41Greg Foster1983Heats1983-08-1113.22Greg Foster1983Semi-finals1983-08-1213.20Greg Foster1987Heats1987-09-0113.06Greg Foster1991Final1991-08-2913.06Jack Pierce1991Final1991-08-2912.91 Colin Jackson1993Final1993-08-20
Women +Women's 100 metres hurdles World Championships record progressionMain > Women, 100 m hurdles > World Championships Records Progression. Track and Field Brinkster. Retrieved on 2024-10-08.TimeAthleteNationYearRoundDate13.03Kerstin Knabe1983Heats1983-08-1212.81Bettine Jahn1983Heats1983-08-1212.75Bettine Jahn1983Heats1983-08-1212.75Ginka Zagorcheva1983Semi-finals1983-08-1312.51Ginka Zagorcheva1987Heats1987-09-0312.34Ginka Zagorcheva1987Final1987-09-0412.28Sally Pearson2011Final2011-09-0312.12 Tobi Amusan2022Final2022-07-22
Finishing times Top ten fastest World Championship times
+ Fastest men's times at the World ChampionshipsRankTime (sec)AthleteNationYearDate 1 12.91 Colin Jackson 1993 1993-08-20 2 12.93 Allen Johnson 1997 1997-08-07 3 12.95 Liu Xiang 2007 2007-08-31 4 12.96 Grant Holloway 2023 2023-08-21 5 12.98 Sergey Shubenkov 2015 2015-08-286 12.99 Terrence Trammell 2007 2007-08-31Cordell Tinch 2025 2025-09-16 8 13.00 Tony Jarrett 1993 1993-08-20Allen Johnson 1995 1995-08-12David Oliver 2013 2013-08-12
+ Fastest women's times at the World Championships1RankTime (sec)AthleteNationYearDate 1 12.12 Tobi Amusan 2022SF 2022-07-242 12.24 Kendra Harrison 2023H 2023-08-22Ditaji Kambundji 2025 2025-09-16 4 12.27 Kendra Harrison 2022SF 2022-07-24 5 12.28 Sally Pearson 2011 2011-09-03 6 12.29 Tobi Amusan 2025 2025-09-16 7 12.31 Britany Anderson 2022SF 2022-07-24 8 12.32 Jasmine Camacho-Quinn 2022SF 2022-07-24 9 12.33 Kendra Harrison 2023SF 2023-08-23 10 12.34Ginka Zagorcheva 1987 1987-09-04Nia Ali 2019 2019-10-06Grace Stark 2025 2025-09-16
1 Additionally, Tobi Amusan, Britany Anderson, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn and Alia Armstrong have run wind-aided times of 12.06, 12.23, 12,23 & 12.31 (+2.5 m/s) respectively in the 2022 final. See also 110 metres hurdles 100 metres hurdles Sprint hurdles at the Olympics
References
External links Official World Athletics website