“What the hell is happening right now?” These words echoed in Masai Russell’s mind as she stood on the Olympic podium in Paris, a gold medal draped around her neck. For a 24-year-old who had spent her life dreaming of this moment, it was surreal. But just as quickly as that gold gleamed, a harsh truth set in. As dreams come true, so do the challenges that follow. Winning an Olympic gold isn’t just about crossing the finish line first; it’s about living with the pressure that comes with that win — the weight of everyone’s expectations. And that pressure hit her fast.

As she opened the 2025 season at the Tom Jones Memorial, the eyes of the world were on her. Fans expected nothing less than victory, but fate had other plans. A shocking loss left her disappointed, questioning her place among the best. “I know I still have a whole year ahead,” she said after the race, never letting that one setback define her. Because she knew this wasn’t the end — it was just a chapter.  And next came the 115th Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, where Russell showed the world what she was made of. The Washungton native finished first by clocking 12.74s, with a 1.4m/s tailwind, in the 100m hurdles event. Even though Bahamian Denisha Cartwright delivered a marvelous 12.93s performance, it was Russell’s moment and she owned it. However, despite her exploits on the track, she hit us with one grand revelation after the race!

It is not easy to be am Olympic champion, and all these months later, she still struggles. In an emotional moment during the elite press on 26th April conference with DrakeAthletics YouTube channel, she shared, “Yeah, it still does take me some time to, you know, I’m still getting used to it. ‘Cause like even when I was running indoor and they were like, ‘Oh no, you’re going last in line because you’re the Olympic champ,’ I’m like, ‘No way.’ Like, I’m scared, like, you know, because it’s like that pressure that I feel like I have to perform really, really well.” It was clear: the gold medal had shifted her world in ways she hadn’t expected, and the weight of it was more than just a physical burden. But Masai Russell? She’s got this!

“I don’t think that God would have blessed me with this title if I wasn’t able to carry it,” Masai Russell said, acknowledging the challenge of embracing her new role. “It’s taken me some time getting used to, but I feel like I’m adjusting quite well with it.” And adjust she has. With every race, every victory, and even every defeat, Russell is evolving — both as an athlete and as a person. As she continues to rise, she’s learning to carry the pressure and the expectations with grace, using every hurdle, literal and metaphorical, as fuel. This win was especially significant after back-to-back losses.

Masai Russell overcomes setbacks with big goals for the future

It all started at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where Masai Russell made her mark by winning the gold medal in the 100m hurdles. She clocked an impressive 12.33 seconds, edging out France’s Cyrena Samba-Mayela and Puerto Rico’s Jasmine Camacho-Quinn by the tiniest of margins—just 0.01 seconds. Despite hitting the second hurdle, Russell bounced back and powered through to take the gold, marking the U.S.’s first win in the event since 2016.

So, 2025 kicked off strong for Masai Russell. She snagged a win in the 60m hurdles at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, looking like she was all set to continue her dominance. But as the season shifted outdoors, things took a wild turn. She entered the Grand Slam Track League, which had everyone buzzing, but instead of shining, she stumbled. In both of the early events, she finished fifth in the 100m hurdles twice. It was a major shock, especially since she had just won Olympic gold in that same event less than a year before.

Then came the Tom Jones Memorial, where everyone was waiting for the big showdown between Russell and her rival, Grace Stark. The race definitely lived up to the hype, but it wasn’t Russell’s day. Stark narrowly edged her out for first, leaving Russell with a second-place finish. But despite these setbacks, Russell’s not backing down. She’s got huge plans ahead—she’s aiming to break world records in both the indoor and outdoor hurdles, with one big goal in mind: becoming the greatest to ever do it and leaving a legacy that’ll inspire the next generation.