Which athlete holds the men’s 110-metre hurdles world record at 12.80 seconds?

Aries Merritt holds the men’s 110-metre hurdles world record at 12.80 seconds.

The American ran 12.80 at the Diamond League meeting in Brussels on 7 September 2012. The performance improved the previous record and remains one of the defining sprint-hurdling marks of the 21st century.

Merritt won the Olympic title at London 2012 earlier that season. He defeated fellow American Jason Richardson in the Olympic final, then lowered the world record several weeks later. Merritt’s career was especially notable because he underwent a kidney transplant in 2015.

The race uses ten hurdles. In senior men’s competition, each hurdle is 1.067 metres high, and athletes begin from starting blocks. The event is distinct from the 100-metre hurdles contested by women at major championships.