Ditaji Kambundji
Ditaji Kambundji makes Swiss sporting history at the World Championships in Tokyo (JPN). In a sensational 12.24 seconds, the Bern native stormed to the 100 m hurdles title. She is the first Swiss female athlete to become world champion. Meanwhile, Simon Ehammer qualified for the long jump final and Jason Joseph for the hurdles semi-final.
Kambundji improved her ranking from one World Championships to the next. Three years ago, she finished 13th in Eugene (USA), and two years ago she came seventh in Budapest (HUN). Now, thanks to a fantastic performance, she pulled off the major coup.
As a senior athlete, she has now won her sixth medal at an international championship. Following gold at the 2025 European Indoor Championships, silver at the 2025 World Indoor Championships and the 2024 European Championships, as well as bronze at the 2023 European Indoor Championships and the 2022 European Championships, Kambundji has added an outdoor World Championships medal to her impressive list of achievements.
Ditaji Kambundji gained her first international experience in 2018, when she finished seventh in the 100 m hurdles in 13.77 seconds at the U18 European Championships in Győr. This qualified her to compete at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, where she finished 14th. The following year, she won the bronze medal in 13.63 seconds at the European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) in Baku. At the 2020 World U20 Championships in Nairobi, she reached the final but was disqualified there. In 2021, she reached the semi-finals at the European Indoor Championships in Toruń, where she was eliminated in the 60 m hurdles with a time of 8.07 seconds; in the heats, she had set a new Swiss U20 record of 8.05 seconds. In July 2021, she won the 100 m hurdles in 13.03 seconds at the European U20 Championships in Tallinn and reached the final of the Swiss 4 x 100 m relay team, but was unable to finish the race. She subsequently competed at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, where her time of 13.17 seconds was not enough to advance beyond the heats.
In 2022, she competed in the 60 m hurdles at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade and reached the final, but was unable to finish her race. In the semi-finals, however, she set a new Swiss indoor record of 7.89 seconds. In mid-June, she won in 12.77 seconds at the CITIUS Meeting in Bern, and subsequently set a new personal best of 12.70 seconds before being eliminated in the semi-finals at the World Championships in Eugene. She then won the bronze medal in 12.74 seconds at the European Championships in Munich, finishing behind Poland's Pia Skrzyszowska and Hungary's Luca Kozák.
In 2020 and 2021, Kambundji became Swiss champion in the 100 m hurdles, and in 2021 and 2022 she won the indoor title in the 60 m hurdles.
Ditaji Kambundji
As a senior athlete, she has now won her sixth medal at an international championship. Following gold at the 2025 European Indoor Championships, silver at the 2025 World Indoor Championships and the 2024 European Championships, as well as bronze at the 2023 European Indoor Championships and the 2022 European Championships, Kambundji has added an outdoor World Championships medal to her impressive list of achievements.
Ditaji Kambundji gained her first international experience in 2018, when she finished seventh in the 100 m hurdles in 13.77 seconds at the U18 European Championships in Győr. This qualified her to compete at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, where she finished 14th. The following year, she won the bronze medal in 13.63 seconds at the European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) in Baku. At the 2020 World U20 Championships in Nairobi, she reached the final but was disqualified there. In 2021, she reached the semi-finals at the European Indoor Championships in Toruń, where she was eliminated in the 60 m hurdles with a time of 8.07 seconds; in the heats, she had set a new Swiss U20 record of 8.05 seconds. In July 2021, she won the 100 m hurdles in 13.03 seconds at the European U20 Championships in Tallinn and reached the final of the Swiss 4 x 100 m relay team, but was unable to finish the race. She subsequently competed at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, where her time of 13.17 seconds was not enough to advance beyond the heats.
In 2022, she competed in the 60 m hurdles at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade and reached the final, but was unable to finish her race. In the semi-finals, however, she set a new Swiss indoor record of 7.89 seconds. In mid-June, she won in 12.77 seconds at the CITIUS Meeting in Bern, and subsequently set a new personal best of 12.70 seconds before being eliminated in the semi-finals at the World Championships in Eugene. She then won the bronze medal in 12.74 seconds at the European Championships in Munich, finishing behind Poland's Pia Skrzyszowska and Hungary's Luca Kozák.
In 2020 and 2021, Kambundji became Swiss champion in the 100 m hurdles, and in 2021 and 2022 she won the indoor title in the 60 m hurdles.
