Jason Joseph captured Switzerland’s first-ever outdoor European title in the 110m hurdles at Birmingham, clocking 13.12 seconds on Wednesday. The victory marks the 14th European gold and 50th overall podium finish for the Swiss delegation in championship history since 1934, overcoming strong competition from France and Poland.
On a sun-drenched Wednesday marked by a solar eclipse, Jason Joseph delivered the defining race of his season at the European Championships in Birmingham. The 27-year-old athlete from Therwil, standing 1.92 meters tall, powered through the 110m hurdles to secure a gold medal in 13.12 seconds, outpacing the field by eight hundredths of a second.
Known for a start that lacks pure explosiveness by his standards, Joseph relied on his acceleration through the latter barriers. He fended off the heavy favorite, France’s Just Kwaou-Mathey, who placed second, while Poland’s Jakub Szymanski took bronze in 13.26 seconds. The triumph converts the bronze medal Joseph won two years prior at the European Championships in Rome into gold, establishing a historic milestone for Swiss athletics.
Overcoming Past Obstacles and Tuning Technique in Florida
The path to the top of the European podium involved significant career recalibration. Between 2020 and 2022, the Swiss record holder spent several months each year training in Florida in the group of Rana Reider, alongside sprint luminaries such as Andre De Grasse and Omar McLeod. While that stint enhanced his raw speed and power, the specific technical demands of hurdling required a different approach.
Following a frustrating 2022 campaign, Joseph returned home to reunite with his long-time coach, Claudine Müller. I understood that I needed Claudine, he later explained of the decision. The pivot paid immediate dividends: Joseph won the 60m hurdles European indoor title in 2023 with a Swiss record of 7.41 seconds, reached the 110m hurdles final at the Budapest World Championships, equaled his national record in 2025, and claimed his first Diamond League victory in Rome.
I wanted to show what I had in my legs. I was able to exploit what I had in my legs. I have experienced many things in my career, I am already 27 years old after all. I believe that my experience will help me even more for the future. Jason Joseph, European 110m hurdles champion
Bouncing Back from Injury and Disappointment
The journey to Birmingham demanded resilience. A hamstring injury sustained in June derailed three weeks of his preparation, forcing him to miss key meetings in Paris and Ostrava. Furthermore, Joseph had to put behind him the haunting memory of the Tokyo World Championships a year prior, where a sudden mental black-out left him frozen on the track before even clearing the first barrier.
Those hurdles are now firmly in the past. In Birmingham, his mother expressed her pride from the sidelines, calling the performance sensational and noting that her son always gives everything. With the gold medal secured, Joseph moves forward, carrying momentum toward the remainder of the international calendar.
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