Switzerland’s Jason Joseph pulled off a stunning upset in the men’s 110m hurdles at the Rome Diamond League on Friday night, pipping American Cordell Tinch by a whisker in one of the tightest finishes of the 2025 season.
Both athletes clocked 13.14 seconds (+0.9 m/s), but a photo-finish review revealed Joseph had crossed the line in 13.131, just three-thousandths of a second ahead of Tinch’s 13.134.
The thrilling finale saw Joseph surge past Tinch after the final hurdle. He capitalized on a slight stumble by the American who had looked destined for a third consecutive Diamond League victory.
Tinch came into the Rome meet as the man to beat, having stormed to back-to-back wins in China. He opened his Diamond League campaign with a commanding 13.06 in Xiamen, where he stunned world champion Grant Holloway. A week later in Shanghai, he lit up the track with a 12.87-second run the fourth-fastest time in history and the fastest in the world this year.
Rome, however, told a different story. Despite a strong mid-race surge, Tinch clipped the final barrier, giving Joseph just enough room to lunge forward and snatch the win at the line.
For Jason Joseph, this marks a significant moment in his 2025 season. The European indoor champion had not featured prominently in the opening legs of the Diamond League.
Men’s 110m Hurdles Final Results
1. Jason Joseph SUI 13.14 (13.131)
2. Cordell Tinch USA 13.14 (13.134)
3. Dylan Beard USA 13.28
4. Orlando Bennett JAM 13.29
5. Daniel Roberts USA 13.40
6 .Wilhem Belocian FRA 13.44
7. Erwann Cinna FRA 13.56
8 . Omar McLeod JAM 13.58
9 . Asier Martínez ESP 13.68