Who runs the world? Girls. That’s right! When Beyoncé dropped this iconic track, Masai Russell was only eleven, but even back then, she understood the assignment. Fast forward to now, and at just 24, she’s not just running the world—she’s sprinting through it like it’s her track. The Gold Medalist at the Paris Olympic 2024 in the 100MH, Masai’s been showing fans how it’s done, one record-breaking stride at a time. Watching her on the track is like watching poetry in motion—except this poetry moves faster than Eminem spitting bars in Rap God.

Masai Russell has been killing it at this year’s New Balance Indoor Grand Prix. The 24-year-old phenom straight-up owned the 60m hurdles final, leaving everyone in the dust at the track at New Balance in Boston on February 2, 2025. Following that the 24-year-old dropped an update on her career plans. She revealed that she won’t participate in the Indoor World Championships. Yes, that’s right! Speaking to a reporter after her grand win, Masai said, “I’m not doing indoor world championships. So, you know, I’m going to the U.S. indoors, but I’m not going to do worlds.“

So it turns out the Indoor World Championships, set to go down in March in Nanjing, China, won’t have Masai in the mix this year. And the reason for that? She’s got her eyes locked on something bigger. Wondering where? Well, Masai is laser-focused on this year’s World Athletics Championships, set to take place in Tokyo, Japan, this September. “So, yeah, I mean, it’s just not any point right now just because the season is so long. And the main goal is September,” she added.

Well, good luck to Masai for that challenge. But for now, we can’t help but feel all kinds of proud for her first professional win of the season. And honestly, neither can she!

Masai Russell isn’t throwing away her winning flowers…

“Let’s give my girl her flowers,” said the reporter while handing Masai Russell a beautiful bouquet. And the sprinter’s reaction and response will melt your heart. “I’m keeping my flowers. People be throwing them. I’m like, no, this is my first pro flower, so I’m going to keep these.” The 2024 Olympics gold medalist is soaking it all in. This is her first pro win, and honestly, she aced it like a pro.

Russell put on a show, blazing through the finish line in 7.80 seconds, just ahead of Grace Stark (7.81) and Devynne Charlton (7.85). And this one hit differently, as she said it was her first-ever pro title. Something she hasn’t pulled off before. Looks like the 24-year-old is all about adding to her collection of accolades.

Talking about the race, Masai felt it was as smooth as ever. “Yeah, it felt really good. It just felt like it was there, and honestly, it’s a testament to how strong I am and where I’m at in training. We haven’t backed off at all. And for where I’m at right now, I’d say that was a pretty solid time.” Woah! That says a lot about her athletic abilities. What do you think about her performance at New Balance Grand Prix? Let us know in the comments down below!