The men's 110m hurdles has never lacked legends. From Liu Xiang breaking the world record, to Robles, Merritt and others continually redefining our understanding of extreme technique andspeed, the event's all-time top-10 list is almost a history of its development; in 2026 the men's 110m hurdles' all-time top-10 order was once again upended by a 20-year-old American collegiate athlete.
American youngster Ja'Kobe Tharp (Ja'Kobe Tharp), on June 11, in the men's 110m hurdles semifinal at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, he ran 12.75 seconds, breaking the world record set by Aries Merritt (12.80) in 2012, becoming the first athlete in 110m hurdles history to run under 12.80 seconds, and also reshuffling the men's 110m hurdles all-time top ten list.
In the latest all-time top 10 list,American athletes occupy seven of the spots, and all four who have run 12.85 seconds are American,the men's 110m hurdles has entered an even harsher historical phase, onceenough to dominate an era 12.91 seconds now sits outside the top ten.
But it's not hard to see,that, after many years, Liu Xiang and Dayron Robles (Dayron Robles) still firmlyhold places in the all-time top ten, which is enough to attest to the caliber of their performances at the time.
As early as 2004Liu Xiang at the Athens Olympics won gold in 12.91 seconds; at just 21 he matched the world record at the time. At the 2006 Lausanne Grand Prix, Liu Xiang ran 12.88 seconds, breaking the men's 110m hurdles world record that had stood for 13 years.
In 2008, Cuban starDayron RoblesinOstravaran 12.87, breaking Liu Xiang's world record.That same yearRobles wonBeijingOlympic men's 110m hurdles title.
The era of Liu Xiang and Dayron Robles is considered classic not only because they both set world records, but becausethey broke the long-standing dominance of Western athletes and ignitedmen's 110m hurdles around the world。
2012 was a pivotal turning point in the men's 110m hurdles. At the London Olympics, American Aries Merritt won gold in 12.92 seconds, becoming the first American to win the Olympic men's 110m hurdles title since Allen Johnson's 1996 victory.
More importantly, shortly after the London Olympics, Aries Merritt at the Diamond LeagueBrussels meetingclocked 12.80 seconds, breakingthe world record held by Dayron Robles (12.87 seconds),signaled the return of U.S. men's 110m hurdles to the very top of the sport.
Since then, the U.S. has produced a succession of talent in the men's 110m hurdles: Grant Holloway ran 12.81s in 2021 and 12.86s in 2024, and also claimed the Olympic gold in Paris;Devon Allen ran 12.84s in 2022;Cordell Tinch ran 12.87s in 2025.
And Sapu pushed the world record down dramatically to 12.75 seconds in 2026. The U.S. men's 110m hurdles,whether in terms of depth, top-end athletesor the development of the new generation, is without question the world's number one.
The real question has shifted from 'who can get close to Merritt' to 'where exactly the limit of the men's 110m hurdles lies.' Keep in mind Sapp is only 20 years old and still a junior in college. If he can stay healthy, continue refining his technique, and prove himself in major championships, the men's 110m hurdles record could very well be rewritten again in the future.
