Alison dos Santos set a new men's 400m hurdles world record of 45.80 at the 2026 Diamond League meeting in Zurich, beating Karsten Warholm.
Alison dos Santos Makes History in Zurich
Brazilian hurdler Alison dos Santos produced a sensational performance at the 2026 Diamond League Weltklasse Zürich, smashing the men's 400m hurdles world record with a remarkable 45.80 seconds at Letzigrund Stadium.
The 2022 world champion took 0.14 seconds off the previous world record of 45.94, set by Norway's Karsten Warholm at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
It was a landmark performance for dos Santos, who not only rewrote the world record but also improved his personal best by an extraordinary 0.49 seconds, lowering his previous mark from 46.29 to 45.80.
Warholm finished second in 46.69, while Nigeria's Ezekiel Nathaniel completed the podium in 47.50.
A Brilliant Race from Dos Santos
Drawn in lane six, dos Santos had the perfect opportunity to measure himself against the man whose record he was chasing, with Warholm starting immediately outside him.
The Brazilian attacked the race from the opening stages and quickly established himself as a serious threat to the record.
By the halfway point, dos Santos had already made up the stagger and was beginning to move level with Warholm. Rather than slowing down, however, the Brazilian maintained his rhythm through the middle section before producing an explosive finish.
Over the closing hurdles, dos Santos pulled decisively clear.
His technique remained composed despite the enormous pace, allowing him to attack the final hurdles and charge toward the finish line. When he crossed the line in 45.80, the significance of the performance was immediately clear.
A new world record had been established.
Warholm's Record Finally Falls
For five years, Karsten Warholm's 45.94 had stood as the benchmark in men's 400m hurdles.
Warholm established that record when he won Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020, producing one of the most memorable performances in the history of the event.
That race also featured dos Santos, who finished third and collected the Olympic bronze medal in 46.72.
Five years later, the Brazilian found himself racing directly against Warholm once again — this time with the Norwegian's world record firmly in his sights.
Warholm pushed hard and finished in a highly competitive 46.69, but it was not enough to prevent dos Santos from taking the record.
The Zurich race therefore created a remarkable chapter in their rivalry, with the athlete who once shared the Olympic podium with Warholm now taking ownership of his world record.
World Record Performance: Key Numbers
| Athlete | Country | Time | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alison dos Santos | Brazil | 45.80 WR | 🥇 1st |
| Karsten Warholm | Norway | 46.69 | 🥈 2nd |
| Ezekiel Nathaniel | Nigeria | 47.50 | 🥉 3rd |
| Matheus Lima | Brazil | 47.57 | 4th |
| Abderrahman Samba | Qatar | 47.77 | 5th |
Dos Santos' 45.80 was the headline figure of the night, while Warholm's 46.69 demonstrated the extraordinary level required to compete at the front of the field.
Samba also produced an encouraging performance, recording a season's best of 47.77.
How the Race Was Won
Fast Start
Dos Santos immediately established an aggressive rhythm, refusing to allow Warholm to dictate the pace.
Mid-Race Surge
By halfway, the Brazilian had made up the stagger and was already level with Warholm. This was a crucial moment in the race.
Closing Hurdles
The decisive difference came over the final hurdles. Dos Santos maintained his speed while Warholm struggled to match the Brazilian's closing pace.
Historic Finish
Dos Santos crossed the line in 45.80, taking 0.14 seconds off the previous world record and producing a huge personal improvement.
A Record-Breaking Personal Best
Perhaps the most remarkable element of the performance was the size of dos Santos' improvement.
Before Zurich, his personal best stood at 46.29.
The Brazilian then ran 45.80 — an improvement of 0.49 seconds.
In a sprint-hurdles event where improvements are often measured in hundredths of a second, cutting nearly half a second from a personal best at this level represents an extraordinary leap.
It also confirmed that dos Santos' performance was not simply a narrow breakthrough. He produced a completely new level of performance.
Dos Santos and Warholm: A Rivalry Renewed
The result adds another fascinating chapter to the rivalry between dos Santos and Warholm.
Their paths first crossed on the biggest stage at the Tokyo Olympics, where Warholm won gold and established the then-world record while dos Santos took bronze.
Dos Santos subsequently became world champion in 2022, establishing himself among the elite athletes of the discipline.
Now, at Weltklasse Zürich, he has gone one step further.
By defeating Warholm and breaking his world record in the same race, dos Santos has transformed the 400m hurdles landscape once again.
Final Verdict
Alison dos Santos — 45.80 seconds. A new men's 400m hurdles world record.
The Brazilian's performance at the 2026 Diamond League meeting in Zurich was more than another victory. It was a statement that the world record had entered a new era.
Dos Santos combined pace, rhythm and composure to produce a historic 45.80, beating Karsten Warholm's five-year-old benchmark by 0.14 seconds.
Warholm finished second in 46.69, Nathaniel took third in 47.50, and Abderrahman Samba recorded a season's best in fifth.
But the night belonged entirely to Brazil.
Alison dos Santos is now the world-record holder in the men's 400m hurdles.
