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Masai Russell had an incredible campaign at the Paris Olympics as she stormed to gold in the 100m hurdles, but her journey getting there hasn't been easy. Recently, the American reflected on the ups and downs she faced on her way to the top while giving fans an update on what they can expect from her in 2025.
Russell was a promising athlete since her collegiate career with the University of Kentucky, setting an NCAA record in the 100m hurdles. She graduated from the university in 2022, and immediately made her mark on the senior levels.
At the 2023 US Trials, the 24-year-old finished third in the finals to qualify for her maiden World Championships. Unfortunately, her campaign in Budapest led to heartbreak as she knocked a hurdle over in the semifinals, falling and failing to make it through to the finals.
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Since that disappointing run, Masai Russell has scripted quite a comeback. She started her 2024 strong, and was the top finisher at the U.S Olympic Trials, storming to gold in 12.25s, a time that tied her for fifth on the all-time list.
A few weeks later, the American clinched gold at the Paris Olympics, outdoing Cyréna Samba-Mayela & Jasmine Camacho-Quinn by three-hundredths of a second. Now, with the 2025 season fast approaching, Russell took a minute to reflect on her journey to the top.
Taking to her Instagram stories, she shared her year-end post from 2023 which read ‘I’ll be back, see y'all next season’ and wrote,
“From 2023 szn.”
She then shared a post celebrating her Olympic gold medal, writing,
“To 2024 szn. Excited for 2025, I'm even more hungry.”
Masai Russell will head into next year as the reigning Olympic champion but will face plenty of competition from her rivals.
Masai Russell signs with Grand Slam Track for 2025
While Masai Russell and her team haven't yet shared her full competition schedule for the upcoming season, the hurdler has signed with Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track, ensuring that she will be in action domestically at least four times a year.
Russell will be joined at GST by her fellow Olympic medalists, and the 23-year-old thinks this will be a great opportunity for her.
“Signing with Grand Slam Track™ is a great moment for me personally and professionally. The vision for this league is clear - putting fans and athletes first, and that’s something I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to be a part of. Coming off the Olympics, 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. I’m delighted that Cyréna and Jasmine are joining too, and I’ll look forward to seeing them line up next to me on the track four times next year,” she stated in the official press release.
Outside of Grand Slam Track, the 2025 season will also offer Masai Russell a chance at redeeming herself at the World Championships, slated to take place in Tokyo in September.
