Tokyo 2025 Countdown: Sprint hurdles set for fastest final in history as Johnson runs 12.27 to in Memphis

The 2025 100m hurdles season continues to sizzle — and at the Ed Murphey Classic in Memphis, Alaysha Johnson blazed to a stunning 12.27s, narrowly missing the chance to become the fifth woman to legally run sub-12.30 this season due to a marginal tailwind of +2.1 m/s. Just 0.1 above the legal limit, the wind denied Johnson a historic mark, but not her dominance on the night.

Behind her, fellow Americans Christina Clemons (12.39) and Destiny Huven (12.45) trailed as Johnson added another jolt to what’s already shaping up to be the fastest and most competitive season ever in women’s sprint hurdling.

As of mid-July, the following athletes have legally broken 12.30 in 2025 — and all before the World Championships:

Masai Russell – 12.17
Tia Jones – 12.19
Grace Stark – 12.21
Tobi Amusan – 12.24

This marks the first time in history four athletes have clocked sub-12.30 before the World Championships. For context, the previous high came in 2022, when Amusan shattered the world record with 12.12s, while Kendra Harrison and Jasmine Camacho-Quinn ran 12.27 — all during or after the championships in Eugene.

Now, with Tokyo 2025 approaching, the women’s 100m hurdles has transformed into an arms race of speed, precision, and nerve, and a new world record is no longer a distant fantasy — it’s breathing down the neck of history.