Brown smashes world record in 110m hurdles
Le'Ezra Brown breaks the world record in the men's 110m hurdles with a time of 12.72 seconds, beating the 12.75 mark that Ja'Kobe Tharp set two months ago.
Video Transcript
And a very, very interesting 110 hurdles final to come.
We've seen three women inside 13 seconds for the 100 hurdles.
It's surely got to take sub 13 to win the men's 110.
Fenyou Miyan.
Fenyou Miyan.
Brilliant.
In the semifinals, a slightly windy 13.18.
Jakario Wilson, the NACAC champion.
His face is a picture of concentration.
This is loaded, this final.
Korey Huggan, second in his semifinal, twice a national champion.
Leasor Brown, the second fastest under 20 athlete in history.
12.89 and a slightly windy 12.82, utterly extraordinary.
Is the world record on tonight?
It's 12.72.
Jeremy Koga went third on the under 20 all-time list, beating the man in the lane two outside him, 12.95.
The Asian Junior champion's on fire.
Anthony Johnson, great win in the second semifinal.
Three times a national champion, this is the biggest race of his life.
Zacchaeus Brocks, he beat Brown to the national title in this stadium.
He's joint sixth on the all-time list.
Goncalves, a PB to make it through.
South American age group bronze medalist two years ago.
"Come on," he says, the Brazilian in eighth.
And Jim Putter had to take five hundredths off his PB to make this final.
Eight of the nine men lining up have set their lifetime bests in this stadium either this week or previously at the US Championships.
We have the second, third, and joint sixth fastest under 20 men in history.
Miyan, Wilson, Huggan, Brown, Koga, Johnson, Brocks, Goncalves, Putter.
The men's 110 meter hurdles has rarely seen a gathering of under 20 talent like this.
Could Brown break the world record in four?
He might have to, but watch for Koga outside him.
He was magnificent in the semifinals.
Something has to give.
Set.
Brown is fourth on the right-hand side, but it's Koga who gets to that first barrier, and he's got the edge over Brown, who now starts to come back.
Also on the near side, Brocks, but it's Brown.
Watch the clock.
It's quick.
How quick?
Oh, he's missed the world record by one hundredth of a second.
That was magnificent.
Round it down and he's tied it.
That's extraordinary.
Koga breaks 13 for the silver.
He headed Brown to the first barrier, and we do get three under 13.
Brocks equaling his PB for the bronze.
He looks disappointed, but he shouldn't be.
He's just taken part in a race for the ages.
Brown just does not know how to lose on this track.
12.89 in the heats, a windy 12.82 in the semis, and he's equaled the world record with a blistering run in the final.
He flew down the home straight.
Hayward Field has witnessed many, many, many great performances over recent decades, and that was one that will long linger in the memory.
Leasor Brown, your star has just been lit.
Well, that was fantastic, Rob.
He got out so well, and it was the final hurdle yesterday, wasn't it?
That world lead, it just slowed him down ever so slightly.
And we said, "What could happen if he didn't catch that last hurdle?"
And that's what can happen.
Now, Tate Taylor said that this track belongs to him, this stadium's his.
I think it might be Leasor Brown's after that.
Taylor's still gotta go tonight, but he will have to do something extraordinary.
It was a great field, a great field that ran great races, and he won by a margin.
He won by a margin, and he did it in the second half of the race.
And do you know what was most impressive about that, Bruce?
He was under pressure.
He, he- Absolutely.
Koga had him early he did not get to the first barrier first, and yet he didn't freeze, he didn't tighten up, he got in full flow, and he was not to be denied.
It was magnificent.
Between 30 and 70 in every one of his races, he's extraordinary.
And look at this, he's flying away.
Koga was so good in second place.
But Rosie, you're under pressure here at the first when Koga outside of you, one of the fastest men of all time, is in front.
But what he does in the middle part of these races is, well, it's hard to get your head around.
It really is.
And he even caught one of the hurdles there, still equaled the world under 20 record.
His races are so, so good.
Merritt and Tharpe have both won this race in the past, the two most recent world record holders in the seniors.
And he has just decimated Tharpe's winning time from two years ago in Lima.
He won it in 13.05.
And we know what Tharpe's been able to do.
So Cesar Joy- Zoya's got some company, Rob.
He has, and he's done it at sea level instead of altitude.
I mean, it, you know, it, it Sawyer's run was magnificent.
He, he got quicker from the heats into the final, but it was so impressive because he came from behind.
Leasor Brown with a world record equaling run that has been scorched into our memories.
Koga, the silver, Brocks, the bronze, all three inside 13 seconds.
It was a privilege to watch it
