VIDEO: Auburn's Ja'Kobe Tharp sets the world record in the 110-meter hurdles
The Auburn junior advanced to Friday's NCAA Championship final, but sent shockwaves around the sport in the process.
The fastest sprint hurdler of all time calls Auburn home.
Auburn junior Ja’Kobe Tharp shocked the track and field world Wednesday, earning the fastest mark ever recorded in the 110-meter hurdles during his preliminary heat at the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore.
Tharp ran a blistering 12.75.
Tharp by winning his heat also advanced to the national final Friday, where he’ll compete for the national championship — but even before the championship race, he’s made his mark on the event, and on the record books.
Watch his world-record-breaking run here.
There’s no over-stating the achievement. It isn’t just the NCAA record, or the fastest time this year: It’s the fastest time anyone’s ever run the 110-meter hurdles, among collegians, professionals, Olympians — anybody.
Tharp broke the previous world record of 12.80 set by Aries Merritt in 2012 in Belgium. Even reigning Olympic champion Grant Holloway has not bested that time.
Yes, Tharp projects to be among the top prospects to represent Team USA at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
For now, Tharp is focused on helping the Auburn men’s track and field team compete for the national championship in Eugene.
“We really, really need this team title, man. … That’s probably the biggest goal this year,” Tharp told the Auburn Torch earlier this month.
In other preliminaries Wednesday, Auburn also advanced three to the 100-meter dash finals, and the defending back-to-back national champion 4x100 relay team also advanced to the final with the top qualifying time.