Grace Stark’s meteoric rise in sprint hurdling reached new heights on June 20 at the Paris Diamond League.
The American hurdler blazed to a meet record time of 12.21 seconds in the women’s 100m hurdles, edging out three-time Diamond League final winner Tobi Amusan by a mere three-hundredths of a second in a thrilling photo finish.
In a post-race interview with Wanda Diamond League an elated Grace Stark shared her emotions about the moment.
“Yeah, you know, I’m just super excited. I have a lot of people here for me, and I wanted to make them proud,” she said.
“I wanted to stay more poised and composed from last week, so yeah, I just wanted to finish the race strong.”
The performance marked a significant milestone for Stark, who reflected on her steady progression in recent seasons.
“I felt like it was something coming and something that we’ve been training for,” she admitted.
“There are so many talented girls out here, so I just try and focus on myself, and you know, it worked today.”
From Collegiate Star to Global Contender
Grace Stark’s journey has been one of grit and resilience. While at the University of Florida, Stark built an impressive résumé, winning the 2022 NCAA Indoor Championship in the 60m hurdles by tying the collegiate record at 7.78 seconds. Her career, however, faced a major test later that year when a knee injury sidelined her for much of the outdoor season.
Refusing to let adversity define her, Stark bounced back in 2024 by capturing both the SEC indoor and outdoor titles, then clinching the NCAA Outdoor 100m hurdles crown with a personal best of 12.47 seconds, delivering Florida’s first win in that event in over 30 years.
That resilience has carried into the 2025 season. Stark opened her outdoor campaign with a solid 12.51 at the Tom Jones Memorial, followed by a runner-up finish at the Xiamen Diamond League. She then dominated in Shanghai, setting a meet record of 12.42 seconds against a stacked field that included Amusan and former world champion Danielle Williams.
At the Stockholm Diamond League, Stark clocked a blistering 12.33 seconds, another meet record, signaling that she had truly arrived among the elite.
Eyes on Monaco and the U.S. Trials
With the Paris Diamond League victory in hand, Stark isn’t slowing down. Her next target is the Monaco Diamond League, officially known as the Herculis EBS Meeting, scheduled for July 11, 2025, at Stade Louis II.
“I have Monaco before [the U.S. Trials], so I want to focus on Monaco and then take my time and work on USAs. You know, just taking it one race at a time and focusing on myself,” Stark emphasized.
The U.S. Track & Field Olympic Trials, set for July 31 to August 3 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, will decide Team USA’s lineup for the 2025 World Athletics Championships, a stage Stark now looks ready to conquer.
What started as a promising collegiate career has transformed into a world-class résumé. With multiple Diamond League victories, meet records, and a growing reputation as a fearless competitor, Grace Stark is a certified contender on the global track and field stage.
