Budapest was bittersweet for Masai Russell. While disappointed at the time, the US hurdler believes that World Championships experience in 2023 helped to put her on track for Olympic gold in Paris.
The 25-year-old reached the semifinals of the 100m hurdles in Budapest but became the Olympic champion less than a year later. Now she is also the second-fastest 100m hurdler in history thanks to her 12.17 performance in Florida in May.
Taking things meeting by meeting, Russell’s next target is the US Championships, taking place in Eugene from 31 July to 3 August, as she aims to book her place on the team for the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 in September.
“I think it had to happen for me to become who I am now,” says Russell, reflecting on the World Championships in Budapest. “I had to take a step back. I think I was a little ahead of myself and I thought that I was going to do something that I wasn’t ready for. I was just glad that I was able to get that opportunity to run at Budapest and run on that global stage so then at the next major championship, which was the Olympics, I had that experience.
“As much as Budapest hurt – it broke my heart – I had to go through that to get to where I am now.”
View the full interview on World Athletics Watch
Russell clocked her North American record of 12.17 – a mark just 0.05 off the world record – at the Grand Slam Track meeting in Miami and was followed by her compatriot Tia Jones who moved to third on the world all-time list with 12.19. While Russell wasn’t surprised by her own time, she was shocked by how early in the season she was able to achieve it.
“Whatever’s meant for me is going to happen, and whatever’s meant to be will be,” she says. “So, if that’s me breaking the world record or if that’s me running sub-12, however that looks, I just believe whatever’s meant for me will never miss me as long as I’m doing what I’m supposed to do.
“The evolution of the women’s hurdles, it just shows that when one person does something, the next person believes that they can do it,” she adds. “Trackflation, that’s what they’re calling it. It’s just going crazy because everyone in every event is running crazy fast, but the women’s hurdles, it’s just sick.”
Now she is ready to take on some of her fellow best in the world as she races for a place in Tokyo.
“I was more nervous at the US Championships than I was at the Olympic final,” she explains, remembering 2024. “At the Olympic final I’m like I’m here, the time is now – there’s nothing to lose. Whereas, you have everything to lose at the championships for the United States because you might not get that opportunity, so you have to make it count.”