She Did It Again at 24! Masai Russell is taking over the headlines once more! After winning Olympic gold in the women’s 100-meter hurdles with a time of 12.33 seconds at the Paris Olympics, the American track and field star is proving she’s far from a one-hit wonder. That Olympic victory in 2024 marked the first U.S. gold in the event since 2016 and extended America’s incredible streak of medals in the 100m hurdles at every Olympics since 2000. But guess what? She’s not done yet—Masai is still breaking records.

Fast forward to the Grand Slam Track Meet in Miami, and Masai Russell stunned everyone with a performance for the ages. She ran a blistering 12.17 seconds, smashing the American record held by Kendra Harrison, who set it at 12.20 seconds in 2016. At that time, Russell became the second-fastest woman ever in the 100-meter hurdles.

In one stunning run, she surpassed a 33-year-old record set at the London Muller Anniversary Games, proving her place among the track and field elite. But achieving this kind of success isn’t easy, and Masai recently shared the mindset that keeps her consistent. Recently, on her YouTube channel, in a video titled “I AM THE FASTEST AMERICAN EVER🤯 | 12.17.. #2 ALL TIME | Miami Grand Slam Vlog | Masai Russell,” Masai opened up about the struggles that fuel her consistency.

“The women’s hurdles are always so close; it can be anybody’s day,” this track and field star explained. “So for me, it’s like—I know it’s what people say, I know it’s what the fans say and think—but for me personally, when I line up, I’m just trying to be my best self and see wherever the cards fall.” Masai’s relentless drive comes from a deep commitment to her craft, always striving to improve.

She continued, “For me personally, I’m never comfortable. I’m never like, ‘Oh, I’m the Olympic champion; I could just come, I could just miss practice, or I could just do whatever.’ Like, no. I’m like, ‘I got to come to practice and bust my tail every day,’ because there are people that are coming up, there are people that are here now, and you never know which way it’s going to go on that day.”

This mindset led to her recent victory at the Grand Slam Track Meet in Miami. But the path to success in track and field wasn’t always smooth—she faced numerous setbacks before reaching these heights.

Rising track and field star Masai Russell transformed doubt into Olympic Gold

Russell began her track and field career at eight and quickly gained recognition. However, her path was not without setbacks. Throughout her NCAA career at the University of Kentucky, she consistently finished as a runner-up in major competitions, never clinching an outdoor NCAA title. These near misses led to public doubt and criticism, which she openly acknowledged.

In an interview, she expressed the emotional toll of these experiences, stating, “You know how much you have gone through throughout your entire career, and for people to talk down on you, for people to doubt you, to get your career records broken by other people, never win an NCAA title, never winning anything realistically. And then I just won the Olympics, like ages ago was a test to me. It’s like my hard work, my faith, my dedication, and my driving—it just was a cherry on the top.”

The 2024 season presented additional hurdles. Russell began the year in track and field without a sponsor, which affected her confidence and focus. She admitted to overthinking and doubting herself, stating, “It was just a lot of overthinking, a lot of doubt… I was unsponsored. I was thinking of all the other things that weren’t that important, and that’s what kind of affected my mind when it came to competing and it came to running fast… It started to be like a downhill spiral.”

Despite these challenges, she found strength through faith and determination, leading to a partnership with Nike after a strong performance at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow. Russell’s perseverance culminated in a gold medal at the Paris Olympics. Reflecting on the achievement, she shared, “The experience was life-changing. It was like a dream come true. Paris was amazing—the people, the food, everything. Winning there made it my favorite place in the world.”

Even after her Olympic success, Russell continued to face personal challenges. She candidly discussed moments of self-doubt and the emotional toll of her journey in track and field, stating, “I am here to tell you that there’s nothing you can’t do without faith and belief. Never say never. You will achieve what you work for, and dreams do come true! I am a living testimony”. This shows success doesn’t come easy—it’s earned, often through struggle.