“You can shoot for the moon and land on the stars, or you can shoot for the moon and land on the moon. So for me, that’s always the goal. The goal is to run faster than 12.12 (seconds),” Masai Russell said in an interview before the Olympics. The perfect stage for this would have been the World Champions, the very place Tobi Amusan made the 12.12 World record in 2023, but for Masa, not only did that not happen, things went way worse.

In the finals of women’s 100m hurdles, Switzerland’s Ditaji Kambundji set a national record, taking home the gold as she crossed the line in 12.24 seconds. The 3-time world champion and 100m hurdles world record holder (12.12 s), Tobi Amusan, came second, finishing in 12.29 seconds. And finally, bronze belonged to the U.S. as Grace Stark claimed third in 12.34s. But most shocking of all, Olympic champion Masai Russell was fourth, clocking in at 12.44s. A result as disappointing as it was unexpected for Russell.

When asked how she felt about the race in the mixed zone, the hurdler said, “Of course. I mean, I’ve never come like fourth when it matters the most. So, it’s kind of unfortunate that, you know, I now know how it feels to be like so close to a medal, but still so far. So, you know, it is what it is.” She isn’t wrong; during world qualifications, she recorded 12.22 in the finals of the USATF Championships, which, if you notice, is faster than what the Swiss athlete clocked for the gold. Today was just an off day for Russell.

The Olympic champion added, “I mean, I feel like I’ve had more losses than I’ve ever had wins. So, you know, I feel like anytime my back is against the wall and adversity comes, like, you know, people know I’m a championship competitor, I know what I’m capable of. So, you know, it just wasn’t the day for me.” In her entire season (indoor and outdoor combined), Russell has a win-loss ratio of 14:12, though there is no denying that she is a champ.

Russell made her mark at the 2024 Paris Olympics by capturing the gold medal in the women’s 100m hurdles with a time of 12.33 seconds. It was her very first Olympic appearance, and she delivered a fierce challenge to France’s Cyréna Samba-Mayela, who finished just a hundredth of a second behind at 12.34, while Puerto Rico’s Jasmine Camacho-Quinn claimed bronze with 12.36 seconds.

“Doesn’t mean that it ends now. Um, and yeah, it is what it is. You know, it’s unfortunate. Um, I’m not going to like downplay the amazing season that I had, even though like it didn’t come in the biggest race of the season, but it just it is what it is,” she added. In another interview, she added that she is targeting the Ultimate World Championships, which is to be held next year in Budapest.

A bittersweet season for Masai Russell

The American made her 100m hurdles debut in the Grand Slam Track, where she finished fifth in 12.78 seconds. She cut that time short to 12.65 s in the Tom Jones Memorial, but she finished one place behind the winner, Grace Stark, in at 12.59s. Her first win in the 100m came in the 115th Drake Relays, though her time was increased to 12.74s. But then came her big break of the season.

The Olympic champion’s record was 12.17s at the Miami Grand Slam Track; the fastest time of the season. But then, in the Prefontaine Classic, this time she shot up to 12.50s, and her position dropped to 5th. This was followed by a couple of losses again in the Monaco Diamond League and the Grand Prix before the USA Championships. There was a good win in the Silesia Diamond League with 12.19 on the clock, but a 12.53 defeat in Lausanne. And then there’s the World Championship loss.

When asked about the future in another interview, she said, “I’m going to leave that to the unknown. Just know that I think everyone knows you can never count me out, and when my back is against the wall, when people count me out, I do crazy things. So that’s gonna be for everyone else to see. Can’t give you an answer on that.” Masai Russell is ready to get back and start grinding again. Let’s hope 2026 brings her better results.