Eager to Prove Herself, Masai Russell Makes Major Track and Field Update: “Against the Best”

A few days ago, Olympic 400m hurdles champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone shared her excitement over fellow University of Kentucky alum Masai Russell winning gold in the 100m hurdles at the Paris Olympics. It was such a thrilling moment! Masai pulled off a surprising victory, stunning experienced runners like Jasmine Camacho-Quinn and crossing the finish line in an incredible 12.33 seconds. Since then a month has passed, and it looks like Masai is now really following in McLaughlin-Levrone’s footsteps.

On Wednesday, September 25th, FloTrack announced that Russell has officially signed with the league founded by 400m American record holder Michael Johnson. She’ll be joined by fellow athletes Cyrena Samba-Mayela and Jasmine Camacho-Quinn. FloTrack shared the thrilling news, noting that they are the first short hurdlers to join the league. Russell expressed her excitement in a statement, saying, “I want to continue regularly competing at the highest level, against the best in the world, and I’m certain that Grand Slam Track is the place for that.”

Being part of this league means they’ll be racing in both the 100m hurdles and the 100 meters at each of the four Slams in 2025, earning points based on where they finish in each race. The athlete with the highest point total across both events will win the Slam title and snag a $100,000 prize for first place! Camacho-Quinn leads the pack with the fastest personal best in the 100m, clocking an impressive 11.22 seconds back in July 2020, which also happens to be the Puerto Rican national record—though she hasn’t run an open 100m since then.

Samba-Mayela ran her personal best of 11.53 seconds in May 2023, while Russell recorded her best at 11.54 seconds in March 2022 during her collegiate career at Kentucky. Other athletes who have joined this league are Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Josh Kerr, Cole Hocker, Yared Nuguse, Fred Kerley, Kenny Bednarek, and Melissa Jefferson. However, Russell initially showed her real charm in Trials.

From underdog to Olympic champion, Masai Russell proved she’s got to take it

The 24-year-old Russell is a proud alumnus of the University of Kentucky, graduating in 2022. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone expressed her admiration for Russell’s performance, particularly since she wasn’t initially seen as a favorite for gold. After being inducted into the UK Athletics Hall of Fame, McLaughlin-Levrone shared her excitement, saying, “Watching her race was just amazing. Masai winning that gold was huge, and I’m sure coming back here to share that moment with the community has been great. It’s really ‘Hurdle U,’ and I’m proud to be a part of it.”

Masai Russell snagged the Olympic gold medal in a thrilling finish, just 0.01 seconds ahead of Cyrena Samba-Mayela. Earlier this summer, she sent a strong message to her competitors by winning the U.S. Olympic Trials with a personal best of 12.25 seconds, which tied her for No. 5 on the all-time 100m hurdles list.

Many underestimated her going into the Paris Games, but Russell embraced the moment and raced without the weight of expectations, ultimately claiming her first Olympic title. Since then, though, she’s struggled a bit to maintain that same level of form. Now, as she gears up for the Athlos competition, the Olympic champion is looking to finish her season strong and reignite her rivalry with former Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn. It’ll surely be an exciting matchup!