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Last updated: Jun 06, 2024
Posted by Rookie Road Staff
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Becoming a top-tier hurdler is not easy. Athletes must master the ability of elite sprint speed and pair it with flawless technique to clear hurdles. There are two main types of hurdling races: the 110 meter and the 400 meter.Some runners specialize in one, while others dominate them both. Keep reading below to learn more about the best men’s hurdlersof all time.
Who Are the Best Men’s Hurdlersof All Time?
- Aries Merritt
- Kevin Young
- Edwin Moses
- Liu Xiang
- David Oliver
- Samuel Matete
- Karsten Warholm
- Roger Kingdom
- Colin Jackson
- Dayron Robles
1. Aries Merritt
- World record holder in the men’s 110 meter hurdles (12.80 seconds)
- 2012 Olympic gold medalist
- 2012 World Indoor Championships gold medalist
The fastest man to ever run the 110 meter hurdles, Aries Merritt is the greatest men's hurdlerof all time. He set the world record in 2012, and it has yet to be topped since. Merritt had a great year in 2012, also winning the gold medal at the Olympics and the gold medal at the World Indoor Championships. He’s won six Diamond League titles in his career and competed until the age of 35. Merritt also won bronze at the World Championships in 2015, and in 2004, won the World Under-20 Championship.
2. Kevin Young
- Holds the fourth-fastest time ever in the men’s 400 meter hurdles (46.78 seconds)
- 1992 Olympic gold medalist
- 1993 World Championships gold medalist
Kevin Young is one of the fastest men to ever run the 400 meter hurdles.He blazed a 46.78 second time in 1992 to capture the world record, and he kept the top spot until 2021. Not only did Young set the record that year, he did so on the biggest stage possible.
His record-breaking time came in the finals of the 1992 Olympic Games, earning him the gold medal and the top place on the all-time leaderboard. In addition to this spectacular feat, Young also won a gold medal at the 1993 World Championships and seized a silver medal at the 1987 Pan-Am Games.
3. Edwin Moses
- Holds sixth-fastest time ever in the men’s 400 meter hurdles (47.02 seconds)
- Two-time Olympic gold medalist
- Two-time World Championships gold medalist
Though Edwin Moses may not have the fastest time in the men’s 400 meter hurdles, he is possibly the most decorated man ever to run the event.He won gold at the 1976 and 1984 Olympic Games before also winning a bronze medal in the 1988 Olympics. Moses also captured two gold medals at the World Championships in 1983 and 1987. He set four separate world records in his career and was the record holder until Young broke his mark.
4. Liu Xiang
- Holds third-fastest time ever in the men’s 110 meter hurdles (12.88 seconds)
- 2004 Olympic gold medalist
- 2007 World Championships gold medalist
The best hurdler to ever come out of the Asian continent, Liu Xiang had tremendous international success over the course of his career.In 2004, he won gold at the Olympic Games, also winning silver in the 60 meter hurdles at the World Indoor Championships. Xiang also won gold at the 2007 World Championships and added two silvers and a bronze at the same competition in other years. He currently holds three different hurdling records for Asians and is a three-time Diamond League winner.
5. David Oliver
- Holds the fourth-fastest time ever in the men’s 110 meter hurdles (12.89 seconds)
- 2013 World Championships gold medalist
- 2008 Olympic bronze medalist
David Oliver was one of the most physically-imposing athletes ever to run hurdles. Despite his bulky frame, Oliver still blazed his way to numerous national and international honors. At the 2008 Olympic Games, he won bronze, and that same year, he took home a gold medal at the World Athletics Finals. Oliver also seized the gold medal at the 2013 World Championships and won 14 Diamond League titles in his career, the most of anyone on this list. He has also captured two Golden League titles and won gold at the Pan-Am Games in 2015.
6. Samuel Matete
- Holds fourth-fastest time ever in the men’s 400 meter hurdles (47.10 seconds)
- 1991 World Championships gold medalist
- 1996 Olympic silver medalist
By far the best hurdler ever to be born in Africa, Samuel Matete dominated during his career.He won silver at the 1996 Olympic Games and took the gold medal at the 1991 World Championships. Matete also blazed past everyone else on the African continent; he won gold at the 1998 African Championships and is the current record holder for the men’s 400 meter among all African runners. Matete won two silver medals at the World Championships in addition to his gold and retired as one of Zambia’s best athletes ever.
7. Karsten Warholm
- 2020 Olympic gold medalist
- Three-time World Championships gold medalist
- Two-time European Championships gold medalist
Karsten Warholm is a Norwegian men’s hurdler and one of the best athletes currently on the international track and field circuit.After a heavily awarded youth career, he made his international debut in 2016 and won his first gold just a year later at the 2017 World Championships in London.
Over the next few years, Warholm won two further gold medals at the World Championships (2019, 2023), twice won the 400-meter men's hurdle event in the IAAF Diamond League (2019, 2021) and even won gold at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. The young hurdler’s streak of success seems anything but slowing, so he will likely add even more accolades to his already impressive resume.
8. Roger Kingdom
- Two-time Olympic gold medalist
- IAAF World Indoor Champion
- IAAF World Cup Champion
Roger Kingdom is an American former hurdler.An athlete from his youth, he excelled at high jump and discus, and also played football, enrolling at the University of Pittsburgh on a football scholarship.However, while there, he turned to track and field, winning the 1983 NCAA title in the 110-meter hurdles.In 1984, he participated in the Los Angeles Summer Olympics, where he won his first gold medal in the 110-meter hurdles.
After his first Olympics, Kingdom endured a few years of injuries, but in 1988, he returned to the international stage, winning his second and final gold at the Seoul Games, again in the 110-meter hurdles.In addition to his two Olympic medals, Kingdom won golds in the IAAF World Indoor Championships, the Summer Universiade, the IAAF World Cup, and the Pan American Games.After retiring in 1999, Kingdom became a member of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame and the University of Pittsburgh Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame.He has also since served in managerial and coaching positions in the NFL, including winning a Super Bowl in 2021 as the speed and conditioning coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
9. Colin Jackson
- Four-time European Championships gold medalist
- Two-time World Championships gold medalist
- 1988 Olympic silver medalist
Colin Jackson is the greatest men’s hurdler in British history.During his junior career, he began training as a decathlete but soon transitioned to high hurdling. This would prove immediately fruitful, as Jackson represented Great Britain at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul and won silver at the 110-meter hurdles event.
In addition to his Olympic success, Colin Jackson also won many accolades on the international track and field circuit. Between the decade from 1989 to 1999, he won two World Championships gold medals (1993, 1999) and four European Championships gold medals (1990, 1994, 1998, 2002) in 110-meter hurdles. Jackson also excelled at the 60-meter hurdles event, topping the podium at three separate European Indoor Championships (1989, 1994, 2002) and at the 1999 World Indoor Championships.
10. Dayron Robles
- Olympic gold medalist
- One-time World Indoor Champion
- Two-time Pan American Games gold medalist
A Cuban hurdler, Dayron Robles is a one-time Olympian who has won a number of medals in competitive hurdling.Winning his first international medal in 2004, Robles got his first gold at the Pan American Junior Championships in 2005.In 2008, he participated in the Beijing Olympics, and was considered one of the candidates for the gold in hurdles, alongside China’s Liu Xiang.After Liu was forced to withdraw due to injury, Robles easily won gold in the 100-meter hurdles.
After his Olympic win, Robles went on to add to his medal count with golds in the Central American and Caribbean Championships, the World Indoor Championships, and the Pan American Games.Though he returned to the Olympics again in 2012, he did not finish in the 110-meter event.
Honorable Mentions
- Devon Allen
- Dominique Arnold
- Bryan Bronson
- Glenn Davis
- Greg Foster
- Grant Holloway
- Allen Johnson
- Renaldo Nehemiah
- Jack Pierce
- Félix Sánchez
- Angelo Taylor
FAQ
Who is the best men’s hurdler in the world?
Currently, the best men’s hurdler in the world is Karsten Warholm. Warholm has set the world record twice in the men’s 400 meter hurdles, with his second record coming in dramatic fashion. Warholm narrowly edged out Rai Benjamin in the 2021 Olympics by setting a new world record of 45.94 seconds, taking home the gold medal in the process. Warholm also has two World Championships golds and two European Championships golds, one indoor and one outdoor.
Who holds the world record in men’s hurdlers?
The current world record holder for the 110 meter hurdles is Aries Merritt, and the record holder for the 400 meter hurdles is Karsten Warholm. Merritt set his world record in 2012 with a time of 12.80, and Warholm set his mark of 45.94 in 2021.Merritt has won one Olympic gold and one World Indoor Championships gold, and Warholm has won an Olympic gold plus two World Championships golds.
Which men’s hurdler holds the most Olympic gold medals?
There are actually three men’s hurdlers tied with the most Olympic gold medals, with two each. Glenn Davis, Felix Sanchez, and Edwin Moses all won a pair of gold medals. By far the most famous of the trio was Moses. He also won an Olympic bronze medal in 1984, and captured two gold medals in World Championships. During the course of his career, he set and reset the 400 meter world record four times.
Pages Related to Best Men's Hurdlers of All Time
- Best Men's Hammer Throwers of All Time
- Best Men's Discus Throwers of All Time
- History of Track and Field
- Best Men's Middle Distance Runners of All Time
- Best Men's Long Jumpers of All Time
- Best Men's Long Distance Runners of All Time
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