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Alison dos Santos

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Alison dos Santos
Dos Santos at the 2026 Weltklasse Zürich
Personal information
Full nameAlison Brendom Alves dos Santos
NicknamePiu
Born (2000-06-03) 3 June 2000 (age 26)
São Joaquim da Barra, São Paulo, Brazil
Height2.00 m (6 ft 7 in)[1]
Sport
CountryBrazil
SportAthletics
Event
400 m hurdles
ClubPinheiros-SP
Coached byFelipe de Siqueira da Silva
Achievements and titles
Highest world ranking
1st (2024)
Personal bests

Alison Brendom Alves dos Santos[1] (born 3 June 2000)[2] is a Brazilian hurdler and sprinter specialising in the 400 metres hurdles. Competing in the 400 metres hurdles, he is the 2022 World Champion and won the bronze medal at the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics. On 27 August 2026, dos Santos broke the world record in the event with a time of 45.80 seconds.

In addition to his world record, dos Santos holds the South American under-20 record in the 400 metres hurdles and the world best in the rarely run 200 metres hurdles. A gold medalist at the Pan American Games and South American Championships in 2019, he was also the 2022 and 2024 Diamond League champion.

Early life

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Dos Santos was born on 3 June 2000 in São Joaquim da Barra, São Paulo, Brazil, to father Gerson and mother Sueli.[3][4] Dos Santos has three sisters named Drieli, Andrieli, and Anieli. His parents later separated.[5]

At 10 months old, while spending time at his grandparents' home, dos Santos suffered third-degree burns after accidentally tipping over a pan of hot oil, which his grandmother prepared to fry fish; she also suffered severe burns when trying to intervene. Dos Santos was rushed to hospital by his grandfather, where he would stay for the next four months. The incident left him with visible scars on his forehead, scalp, face, chest, and left arm.[5][6] He wears a cap or hat on his head during training to protect the area from the sun.[7]

Dos Santos was shy growing up, partly due to his scars, and stayed in his room alone until he started to become involved in sports.[4][8] As a child, he practised judo from age six to fourteen. Although he loved judo, the high cost associated with each training session caused him to abandon it. A childhood friend soon convinced him to switch to athletics.[5] Dos Santos began athletics in 2013 at Pedro Badran State Technical School (ETEC) and was coached by Ana Fidélis.[7][8] Within months, he no longer did athletics out of a financial need but because he truly enjoyed it and even made friends throughout the city, states, and country. At the age of 16, he was already competing among adults.[9] Dos Santos earned the nickname "Piu" early in his career. Explaining the nickname's origin, he recounted joining a local athletics project one week after the departure of a different athlete. This athlete resembled a homeless man named Piu known to people in São Joaquim da Barra, so teammates jokingly decided to call dos Santos by the same name.[10]

Career

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2017

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Dos Santos competed at the 2017 IAAF World U18 Championships in the 400 metres hurdles, finishing fifth in the final.[11]

2018

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Dos Santos won a bronze medal at the 2018 World U20 Championships in the 400 m hurdles with a time of 49.78 seconds, a personal best at the time.[11][12]

2019

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At just 19 years old, he participated in the 2019 Pan American Games, held in Lima, Peru, where he won the 400 m hurdles event, breaking the South American under-20 record with a time of 48.45. It was the fourth best time in the world at that moment, and with that, dos Santos qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics. He had already won gold in the same event, at the 2019 Summer Universiade, weeks before.[13]

In September 2019, dos Santos went to the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar, where he won the 400 m hurdles semifinal in 48.35, breaking his personal record again and going to the final with the second best overall time. The last time a Brazilian had reached the final of this event in the Worlds was with Eronilde de Araújo, in 1999. In the final, he broke his personal record again, finishing in seventh place with a time of 48.28.[14][15]

2021

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In April 2021, he broke his own Brazilian record again with a time of 48.15 in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. On 9 May 2021, he broke the South American record that had belonged to Panama's Bayano Kamani (47.84) since 2005. Dos Santos obtained the 47.68 mark in the Mt.Sac stage of the Continental Athletics Tour in California. On 28 May 2021, he again broke the South American record with a time of 47.57 in Doha, participating in the 2021 Diamond League. This time placed him as third in the world ranking. He even topped the list in April. The time of 47.57 already placed him as 22nd best runner in the race of all time.[16][17] On 1 July 2021, in the Oslo stage of the Diamond League, he again lowered his own South American record, with a time of 47.38. This time placed him as the 15th-best runner in the history of the race.[18] He improved this record with 47.34, three days later, winning in Stockholm.[19]

Dos Santos celebrating his bronze medal at the 2021 Summer Olympics

At the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, dos Santos qualified for the final of the 400 metres hurdles, breaking the South American record with a time of 47.31.[20] In the final, he won the bronze medal, breaking the South American record again by a large margin, with a time of 46.72, lowering his time by 0.6 seconds. The race was the strongest in 400 m hurdles history, with the three medalists—Karsten Warholm, Rai Benjamin and dos Santos—running the three best times in the history of the event, all beating Kevin Young's old world record which had lasted almost 30 years and had only fallen a month before the Olympics. Dos Santos became the third best in the history of the race at just 21 years old.[21][22][23]

2022

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Dos Santos (left) racing at the 2022 World Athletics Championships

In April 2022, he made the second best Brazilian mark in history in the 400 m with a time of 44.54 seconds.[24] In May 2022, he won a gold medal in the Doha stage of the Diamond League with a time of 47.24, defeating Rai Benjamin.[25] In June 2022, he won a gold medal in the Stockholm stage of the Diamond League with a time of 46.80.[26]

On 19 July 2022, in the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, he broke the South American record again and the World Championship record in the 400 metres hurdles with a time of 46.29, becoming the world champion, defeating Warholm and Benjamin. It was the first men's gold in the history of Brazil in the World Athletics Championships, and he became only the second Brazilian in history to be the world champion in outdoor athletics, the first being the pole vaulter Fabiana Murer eleven years earlier in Daegu, South Korea. Dos Santos was 0.13s from breaking Benjamin's Americas record and 0.36s from breaking Warholm's world record.[27][28][29][30][31] At the Diamond Race final in Zürich in September, he became the Diamond League champion in his specialist event.[2]

2023

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On 14 February 2023, he underwent surgery to correct a meniscus tear in his right knee.[32][33] His recovery period was expected to last between 8 and 12 weeks.[34][35] He came back on 16 July 2023, with his first race of the season being the Silesia stage of the Diamond League. He ran in the 400 m and finished in third place with a time of 44.73.[36][37] Close to a week after, he improved upon this when he ran the 400 m hurdles in the Monaco stage of the Diamond League and finished in second place on 21 July 2023. Next, the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary followed in August. He won his 400 metres hurdles heat in 48.12 to qualify for the semifinal where he finished second with a time of 47.38. During the final, he hit two barriers (in the eighth and tenth) and finished in fifth place with a time of 48.10.[38] He asked to be exempt from the 2023 Pan American Games so as not to jeopardize his preparation for the Olympics.[39]

2024

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On 10 May, at the Doha Stage of the 2024 Diamond League, he crossed the finish line with a time of 46.86 and took 1st place, breaking the league record.[40]

On 31 May, at the Oslo stage of the Diamond League, he defeated Warholm within his own country and took the lead in the 400 m hurdles ranking for the year, with a time of 46.63.[41]

He won the bronze medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics with a time of 47.26 to finish behind Benjamin and Warholm.[42][43]

In September 2024, it was announced that he had signed up for the inaugural season of the Michael Johnson founded Grand Slam Track.[44]

2025

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Dos Santos was crowned the Grand Slam champion in the "long hurdles" race group at the league's first two meets in Kingston and Miami.[45][46] On 17 May 2025, dos Santos set a new world best time of 21.85 seconds in the rarely run 200 metres hurdles.[47] At the Philadelphia Slam, he finished second in his race group behind Trevor Bassitt.[48]

Following victory at the Prefontaine Classic in July,[49] dos Santos won the 400 metres hurdles silver medal at the 2025 World Athletics Championships, running 46.84 to finish second behind Benjamin.[50]

2026

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Dos Santos celebrating after breaking the men's 400 metres hurdles world record at the 2026 Weltklasse Zürich

Dos Santos opened his 2026 season in Gainesville, Florida, where he set new personal bests in the 200 metres and the 400 metres, almost breaking the Brazilian record in the latter event.[51] At the 2026 Shanghai Diamond League, he beat Warholm on his way to setting another personal best, this time in the 300 metres hurdles.[52]

On 27 August 2026, at the Zürich Diamond League, dos Santos broke the 400 metres hurdles world record with a time of 45.80 seconds, ahead of the previous record holder, Warholm.[53] Dos Santos became the second man to run under 46 seconds in the event.[54] It was one of two world records achieved in Zürich, with Masai Russell breaking the 100 metres hurdles record later in the meet.[55][56] Reflecting on his strong season, dos Santos noted that tactical changes in training allowed him to execute his race plan and break the world record. "I felt like [I could break the world record] throughout the whole season. Today I was able to execute," dos Santos said, explaining that "I’m starting faster, I’m finishing stronger, and that is what I had to do to break a world record."[53][57][58]

Achievements

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Information taken from World Athletics profile unless otherwise noted.[2]

Personal bests

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Personal best times of Alison dos Santos
Event Time Location Date Record Notes
200 metres 20.39 Gainesville, Florida, U.S. 17 April 2026 (Wind: +0.7 m/s)
400 metres 44.38 Gainesville, Florida, U.S. 18 April 2026
200 metres hurdles straight 21.85 Atlanta, U.S. 17 May 2025 WB[47] (Wind: +1.5 m/s)
300 metres hurdles 33.01 Shaoxing, China 16 May 2026 AR[52]
400 metres hurdles 45.80 Zürich, Switzerland 27 August 2026 WR
400 metres hurdles (84.0cm) 52.45 Bragança Paulista, Brazil 25 June 2017
4 × 400 metres relay 3:02.99 Gainesville, Florida, U.S. 30 March 2024
Mixed 4 × 400 metres relay 3:16.53 Chorzów, Poland 1 May 2021

International competitions

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Representing  Brazil
YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventTimeNotes
2017 World U18 Championships Nairobi, Kenya 5th 400 m hurdles 53.98
1st 4 × 400 m mixed 3:21.71
2018 World U20 Championships Tampere, Finland 3rd 400 m hurdles 49.78
South American U23 Championships Cuenca, Ecuador 2nd 400 m 45.97
1st 400 m hurdles 50.56
2nd 4 × 400 m relay 3:09.90
2019 South American Championships Lima, Peru 1st 400 m hurdles 49.88
2nd 4 × 400 m relay 3:04.13
South American U20 Championships Cali, Colombia 1st 400 m 45.78 CR
Universiade Naples, Italy 1st 400 m hurdles 48.57 AU20R
Pan American U20 Championships San José, Costa Rica 1st 400 m hurdles 48.49 AU20R
Pan American Games Lima, Peru 1st 400 m hurdles 48.45 AU20R
World Championships Doha, Qatar 7th 400 m hurdles 48.28 AU20R
2021 World Relays Chorzów, Poland 2nd 4 × 400 m mixed 3:17.54
Olympic Games Tokyo, Japan 3rd 400 m hurdles 46.72 AR
2022 World Championships Eugene, United States 1st 400 m hurdles 46.29 CR AR
2023 World Championships Budapest, Hungary 5th 400 m hurdles 48.10
2024 Olympic Games Paris, France 3rd 400 m hurdles 47.26
2025 World Championships Tokyo, Japan 2nd 400 m hurdles 46.84
4 × 400 m relay DQ

Circuit performances

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400 metres hurdles champion (2): 2022, 2024
400 metres hurdles wins, other events specified in parentheses:
Grand Slam Track results[59]
SlamRace groupEventPl.TimePrize money
2025 Kingston SlamLong hurdles 400 m hurdles1st47.61US$100,000
400 m1st45.52
2025 Miami SlamLong hurdles 400 m hurdles1st47.97US$100,000
400 m1st44.53
2025 Philadelphia SlamLong hurdles 400 m hurdles1st48.11US$50,000
400 m3rd45.63

References

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  1. 1 2 "Alison dos Santos". Olympedia. OlyMADmen. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 Alison dos Santos at World Athletics Edit this at Wikidata
  3. Webrun, Redação (3 August 2021). "Alison dos Santos faz história e conquista o bronze nos Jogos de Tóquio". Webrun | Corrida, saúde, qualidade de vida (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Mãe de Alison dos Santos diz que atletismo o ajudou a vencer timidez". UOL (in Brazilian Portuguese). 3 August 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 Gabriel, João; Santos, Bruno (4 August 2021). "Na infância, Alison dos Santos era 'Teco' e teve de superar timidez para entrar no atletismo". Folha de S.Paulo (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  6. Pells, Eddie (16 September 2025). "A burn victim as a child, Brazilian hurdler dos Santos explains how track helped save his life". The Associated Press. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
  7. 1 2 Dennehy, Cathal (23 August 2022). "Now established among world elite, Dos Santos relishes first season as a senior". World Athletics. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  8. 1 2 Watta, Evelyn (9 March 2022). "Olympic bronze medallist Alison dos Santos: 'We are not seeing history, we are making history.'". Olympics.
  9. Ramos, Raphael (2 August 2021). "Conheça Alison dos Santos, vítima de acidente doméstico aos 10 meses, e medalha de bronze em Tóquio". Terra (in Portuguese). Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  10. "Por que Alison dos Santos, do atletismo, é chamado de 'Piu'?" [Why is Alison dos Santos, from athletics, called 'Piu'?]. ESPN (in Brazilian Portuguese). 9 August 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
  11. 1 2 Dennehy, Cathal (23 August 2022). "Dos Santos - clearing barriers to pave the way for future stars". World Athletics. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  12. "400 Metres Hurdles Men – Final – Results" (PDF). IAAF. 14 July 2018. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  13. Merguizo, Marcel (8 August 2019). "Alison dos Santos conquista medalha de ouro nos 400m com barreira com melhor marca da carreira". Globo Esporte (in Portuguese).
  14. Dilascio, Flávio; Roseguini, Guilherme & Dillon, Lorena (28 September 2019). "Paulo André para na semifinal, e Christian Coleman é campeão mundial dos 100m em Doha". Globo Esporte (in Portuguese).
  15. Dilascio, Flávio; Roseguini, Guilherme & Dillon, Lorena (30 September 2019). "Revelação do Mundial, Alison Brendom faz melhor tempo da vida e fica em 7º em final em Doha". Globo Esporte (in Portuguese).
  16. "Alison Santos quebra recorde e é 2º nos 400m com barreiras em Doha". Globo Esporte (in Portuguese). 28 May 2021.
  17. "Alison dos Santos bate recorde sul-americano dos 400m com barreiras". Globo Esporte (in Portuguese). 9 May 2021.
  18. "Warholm quebra recorde mundial, e Alison é 2º com recorde sul-americano". Globo Esporte (in Portuguese). 1 July 2021.
  19. "Alison dos Santos vence e bate recorde sul-americano nos 400m com barreira na Diamond League". Globo Esporte (in Portuguese). 4 July 2021.
  20. Conde, Paulo Roberto (1 August 2021). "Alison dos Santos vai à final dos 400m com barreiras; Paulo André fica fora de decisão dos 100m rasos". Globo Esporte (in Portuguese).
  21. Dilascio, Flávio & Conde, Paulo Roberto (3 August 2021). "Saiba quem é o medalhista olímpico Alison dos Santos, mais conhecido como "Piu"". Globo Esporte (in Portuguese).
  22. Conde, Paulo Roberto (3 August 2021). "Alison dos Santos conquista bronze nos 400m com barreiras nas Olimpíadas de Tóquio". Globo Esporte (in Portuguese).
  23. "Warholm smashes world 400m hurdles record with incredible 45.94 run in Tokyo". World Athletics. 3 August 2021.
  24. "Alison dos Santos faz 2ª melhor marca brasileira da história nos 400m rasos". Olimpiadatododia (in Portuguese). 16 April 2022.
  25. "Alison dos Santos conquista ouro na Diamond League". Globo Esporte (in Portuguese). 13 May 2022.
  26. "Hurdles records for Dos Santos and Bol". World Athletics. 30 June 2022.
  27. "RESULTS - 400 Metres Hurdles Men - Final" (PDF). World Athletics Championships Oregon 22. July 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  28. "Alison dos Santos é campeão mundial dos 400m com barreiras". ge (in Brazilian Portuguese). 19 July 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  29. Tennery, Amy (20 July 2022). "Brazil's dos Santos wins 400m hurdles world final, Warholm denied". Reuters. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  30. Vecchioli, Demétrio (19 July 2022). "Olhar Olímpico - Alison Piu é campeão mundial nos 400m com barreiras em conquista inédita". UOL (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  31. "Alison dos Santos sets 400m hurdles World Championships record as Warholm fades in final". Olympics. 19 July 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  32. "Alison dos Santos passa por cirurgia e já inicia fisioterapia nesta terça". Comitê Olímpico do Brasil. 14 February 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  33. Philip (8 February 2023). "Alison dos Santos suffers knee injury and will undergo surgery - News Bulletin 247". New Bulletin 247. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  34. Zalcman, Fernanda (3 May 2023). "Alison dos Santos: qual estado da recuperação e sua previsão de retorno". Olympics. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  35. "Medallista olímpico brasileño Alison dos Santos al quirófano por grave lesión". SWI swissinfo.ch (in Spanish). 8 February 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  36. Chavez, Chris (20 July 2023). "How Alison dos Santos Came Back From A Knee Injury To Save 2023 Season". CITIUS MAG. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  37. Andrade, Juliana, ed. (17 July 2023). "Alison dos Santos achieves Olympic and world qualifying time". Agência Brasil. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  38. "Após bater em duas barreiras, Alison dos Santos fica em quinto lugar no Mundial de Atletismo". Exame (in Brazilian Portuguese). 23 August 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  39. Vecchioli, Demétrio (22 September 2023). "Olhar Olímpico: Piu pede dispensa e não vai ao Jogos Pan-Americanos de Santiago". UOL (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  40. Giachero, Fabrizio (10 May 2024). "Alison dos Santos vence e quebra recorde na Diamond League". Olimpíada Todo Dia (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  41. Caramez, João (31 May 2024). "Alison dos Santos torna-se líder do ranking nos 400m com barreiras da Diamond League". GAZ - Notícias de Santa Cruz do Sul e Região (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  42. "Paris 2024 Athletics Men's 400m Hurdles Results". Olympics. 9 August 2024. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  43. Mulkeen, Jon (9 August 2024). "Fifth time's the charm as Benjamin takes Olympic 400m hurdles gold in Paris". World Athletics. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  44. "2x Olympic Bronze Medalist Alison Dos Santos, Clément Ducos Sign With Grand Slam Track". Citius Mag. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  45. Bregman, Scott (6 April 2025). "Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone captures long hurdles slam title at Grand Slam Track's inaugural event". Olympics. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  46. "McLaughlin-Levrone once again among Grand Slam winners in Miami". World Athletics. 4 May 2025. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  47. 1 2 "Ofili and Simbine put on a show in Atlanta". World Athletics. 17 May 2025. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  48. Tannenwald, Jonathan (1 June 2025). "At Grand Slam Track, it's about winning more than time. And the cash is pretty nice, too". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  49. Plotkin, Lindsey (5 July 2025). "Prefontaine Classic 2025 Results: See How The Stars Performed In Eugene". FloTrack. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  50. Mulvenney, Nick (15 September 2025). "Benjamin survives DQ scare to finally clinch 400m hurdles world title". Reuters. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  51. Nagime, Mateus (18 April 2026). "Alison dos Santos quase bate recorde brasileiro dos 400m rasos" [Alison dos Santos almost broke the Brazilian record in the 400m dash]. Olimpíada Todo Dia (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 27 August 2026.
  52. 1 2 de Villiers, Ockert (16 May 2026). "2026 Shanghai Diamond League: Alison dos Santos edges Karsten Warholm for 300m hurdles win". Olympics. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  53. 1 2 Franceschi Neto, Virgílio; Goh, ZK (27 August 2026). "Alison dos Santos on breaking the 400m hurdles world record: "You can't plan the world record"". Olympics. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  54. Tharme, Liam (27 August 2026). "Zurich Diamond League: Alison dos Santos breaks men's 400m hurdle world record with 45.80s run". The Athletic. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  55. "USA's Russell and Brazil's Dos Santos smash world records on 'crazy' night in Zurich". The Guardian. 27 August 2026. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  56. "Dos Santos and Russell break world records in unforgettable Zurich". World Athletics. 27 August 2026. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  57. "Dos Santos and Russell break world records in Zurich - Wanda Diamond League". 27 August 2026. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  58. "Russell, Dos Santos set world records at Diamond League in Zurich". ESPN Africa. 27 August 2026. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  59. "Grand Slam Track Results". Grand Slam Track. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
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