‘I’m Speechless, I Didn’t Mean To’: Auburn’s Tharp Breaks World Record in 110m Hurdles at NCAA Championships

‘I’m speechless. I didn’t mean to,’ said Auburn junior Ja’Kobe Tharp, moments after etching his name into track and field history.

On Wednesday at Hayward Field, Tharp stunned the athletics world by running 12.75 seconds in the men’s 110m hurdles semifinal, breaking the world record on day one of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

The performance marked the first time in 50 years that a world record has fallen at the national championships, dating back to Dwight Stone’s high jump milestone.

For Tharp, the achievement was the culmination of months of preparation.

‘I knew going into this meet I would be in really good shape because we started deloading to hit my peak,’ he explained. ‘It was about executing and doing it. I knew I had something faster than 13.0 in my legs.’