Masai Russell blazed to a North American record and the second-fastest time in history, clocking 12.17 seconds to win the women’s 100m hurdles at the Grand Slam Track meet in Miami on Friday.
Meanwhile, Olympic champion Russell exploded from the blocks and held off fellow American Tia Jones, who finished just 0.02 seconds behind in 12.19-making Jones the third-fastest woman ever in the event. It is a stunning event that has been defined by power and speed.
Moreover, both athletes surged past the previous American record of 12.20, set by Kendra Harrison in 2016. They now trail Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan, who set the world record at 12.12 in 2022. Russell’s victory came under near-perfect conditions, with a legal tailwind of 2.0 meters per second, the maximum allowed for record-setting performances.
Additionally, the race featured a world-class field. Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent took third in 12.34, while Harrison, the former world record-holder, finished fourth in 12.40. On the other hand, Olympic bronze medallist Megan Tapper of Jamaica settled fifth in 12.50.
Alaysha Johnson of the USA finished sixth in 12.56, and Maribel Vanessa Caicedo of Ecuador rounded out the field.
Masai Russell’s triumph marks a dramatic turnaround from her 2023 World Championships exit, where she was eliminated in the semifinals after striking a hurdle. Now, at 24, she stands atop the all-time list, just 0.05 seconds shy of the world record.
“I didn’t expect this, but I just went out there and competed,” Russell said after her historic run.
The Miami meet, the second stop in the Grand Slam Track series, has set a serious tone for the season. With Masai Russell and Jones’s performances rewriting the record books, it has raised the bar for women’s sprint hurdling worldwide.