Hurdle sprinter Ja’Kobe Tharp from the USA set a world record at the national university championships in Eugene, Oregon.
The 20-year-old ran 12.75 seconds in the 110 m hurdles in the semifinals, beating his compatriot Aries Merritt’s previous record from 2012 by five hundredths of a second
“I still have more in my legs”
“I have no words, I’m speechless. That wasn’t even a perfect race. 12.75? I still have more in my legs”said Tharp. For the U20 world champion, the performance at the NCAA Championships represents a leap in performance; he had never stayed under 13 seconds before.
Tharp is the first athlete since Dwight Stones in the high jump 50 years ago to set a world record at the American College Championships (NCAA).
Fast over 60 meters too
In September 2025, Tharp finished sixth at the World Championships in Tokyo.
In the winter he set the third fastest time in the 60 meter hurdles (indoor distance) with 7.32 seconds – just above Grant Holloway’s world record (7.27 seconds).