American sprint hurdler Christina Clemons was overcome with emotion after what she described as an “eight-year wait” finally came to an end at the 2025 ATX Sprint Classic, held at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, on Saturday, June 28.
The 35-year-old crossed the line in a season’s best 12.49 seconds to win the women’s 100m hurdles. That was her fastest time since 2017. Speaking after the race, Clemons said:
“Not even all season… I’m very happy for that. I’ve been waiting for more than all season- since 2017. When I crossed the line and they said 12.49,my heart was melting …”
The moment meant everything to Clemons, who has battled injuries and near-misses in the last years. Destiny Huven and Alexandra Webster clocked 12.68 and 12.70 to finish second and third respectively.
Clemons is no stranger to elite-level competition. She won a silver medal in the 60m hurdles at the 2018 World Indoor Championships in Birmingham, clocking 7.73 seconds, a time that ranks tied for fifth-fastest in history, just 0.05 seconds off the world record.
In 2019, she produced the most consistent outdoor season of her career, finishing in the top three in nearly every meet and claiming her first Diamond League victory in Oslo.
However, in a heartbreaking turn, she clipped the sixth hurdle in the final. She dropped from third place and missing out on a ticket to the World Championships in Doha.
Christina Clemons bounced back in 2020, dominating the World Athletics Indoor Tour and finishing ahead of reigning world champion Nia Ali. She remains the only hurdler in history to win the World Indoor Tour title in back-to-back seasons.