Sometimes, everything turns upside down — even for Olympic champions. Just ask Masai Russell, who came into the 2025 Tom Jones Memorial Invitational as the one to beat. Fresh off her golden performance in Paris, she was ready to take over the 100m hurdles again. But Grace Stark had other plans. The Florida standout turned heads with a blistering 12.51 in the prelims, then followed it up with a 12.59 in the final, securing the win and breaking her own school record. Masai finished in 12.65s — still a strong time, but not enough to clinch victory this time.

But for a champion like Masai Russell, one thing is certain — she won’t stay down for long. Recently, on the Ready Set Go podcast, track legends Justin Gatlin and Rodney Green discussed the race and shared their thoughts on the outcome. Justin kicked things off by praising Grace’s breakout performance, highlighting how impressive it was: “The women’s 100-meter hurdles — somebody on that watch list had a breakout session here at Tom Jones, man. And I say session because it wasn’t just one race. They went to the prelims, set a world lead, and came back in the finals and commanded. Grace Stark.” Justin emphasized that Grace didn’t just win; she delivered a series of performances that truly put her on the map.

Rodney Green, a former Olympic hurdler, weighed in on Masai Russell’s performance, acknowledging how rare it is for the Olympic champion to face a loss. He praised Grace Stark’s impressive showing, noting that running a 12.5 twice in one meet is remarkable, especially against such a solid field. Green emphasized that while Masai lost this race, he believes she’ll bounce back stronger. “Every time she races Grace, Grace will feel like, ‘I can beat you,‘” he said. Green added that the rivalry between the two athletes will be fierce, and it’s now up to Masai to regain her dominance and come back stronger.

Justin added to the conversation by explaining why the women’s 100-meter hurdles is one of the most exciting events in track and field: “The high level of competition. You watch Grace, and clearly, Grace has taken a couple of Ls before, and now she’s coming into her zone and saying, ‘You know what? You can do this.”  Justin further added that Masai Russell’s consistency over time is what sets her apart as a true champion.

“Masai has gotten Ws — now she took an L today. We know Masai. Masai’s a caliber athlete who owns that quality of being a real champion — not just someone who says, ‘Hey, I just won the Olympics one time, lucky me.’ She has shown that she can be consistent.” Justin also believes Masai will analyze the race with her coach, focusing on the areas where she fell short to come back stronger: “I feel like Masai’s gonna leave Gainesville, look at that race with her coach, and they’re going to break down exactly where the loss was and how to fix that.”

As the 2025 season unfolds, Masai Russell is set to make her mark at the Grand Slam Track League in Miami, Florida, from May 2-4. With a generous prize pool of $100k on the line, all eyes will be on Russell as she continues to prove her resilience and skill. But what was Masai Russell’s response to her recent setback?

Masai Russell reflects on the pressure of Olympic gold

After losing the race, Masai Russell opened up about the challenges of her newfound role as Olympic champion. “Yeah, it still does take me some time to, you know, I’m still getting used to it. ‘Cause like even when I was running indoor and they were like, ‘Oh no, you’re going last in line because you’re the Olympic champ,’ I’m like, ‘No way.’ Like, I’m scared, like, you know, because it’s like that pressure that I feel like I have to perform really, really well.”

Masai embraced her new position by believing God would not have granted her the title if she lacked the capability to handle it. The pressure does not seem to bother her because she believes she handles the responsibilities of a champion wholeheartedly.

Gracing the 115th Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, Masai Russell displayed remarkable recovery by successfully competing in the women’s 100m hurdles with a 12.74 seconds time run against a 1.4 m/sec tailwind which earned her first place. Second place went to Bahamian Denisha Cartwright who accomplished the race in 12.93 seconds. “It felt good,” Masai said. “It’s a little windy, so I was just glad to make it to the finish line first. I just wanted to stay tight, stay clean, and get it over the last five meters.” Reflecting on her performance, she added, “I’m just getting that groove back so we can bring that momentum into the US championships and the worlds.” With that victory, Masai is now looking forward to building on her momentum as the 2025 season unfolds.