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Olympic champion Masai Russell made history on Friday by clocking 12.17 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles in Miramar, Florida setting a new American record and recording the second-fastest time ever in the event. Her performance gave a major boost to the fledgling Grand Slam Track league, a new initiative spearheaded by four-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson.
Competing under ideal conditions with a legal tailwind of 2.0 meters per second, Russell narrowly beat fellow American Tia Jones, who finished just behind in 12.19 seconds the third-fastest time in world history. The race took place at the Ansin Sports Complex in front of a packed crowd, a notable contrast to the sparse attendance at the league’s inaugural event in Kingston, Jamaica.
“I wasn’t expecting that,” Russell admitted. “When it’s time to run fast, I love to run fast. I just went out there to compete.” Russell, 24, also won gold in the 100-meter hurdles at the Paris Olympics with a time of 12.33 seconds, narrowly edging France’s Cyréna Samba-Mayela.
The world record of 12.12 seconds, set by Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan at the 2022 World Championships, remains intact. Still, Friday’s race was a thrilling highlight for Grand Slam Track, which aims to sustain interest in track and field between Olympic Games.
Johnson’s league features four events dubbed “Slams” from April to June, where athletes compete in two races per event across six disciplines. The top performers in each category win a $100,000 prize. While Johnson has emphasized building rivalries over record-breaking performances, Friday’s electric result clearly energized the league, with Johnson celebrating Russell’s run enthusiastically.
Russell, who finished fifth in Kingston’s hurdles race, said she was determined to improve. “The wind wasn’t on my side in Kingston,” she noted. “Today I had the wind to my back, and I’m competitive with anyone in the world.” She’ll run again Saturday in the flat 100-meter dash, the second race in the women’s short hurdles discipline.
Elsewhere on Friday, Great Britain’s Josh Kerr won the men’s 1,500 meters in 3:34.51, outpacing American Olympic medalists Yared Nuguse and Cole Hocker. The trio will meet again Saturday in the 800 meters. Melissa Jefferson-Wooden claimed victory in the women’s 100 meters with a time of 10.75 seconds; she previously took bronze in Paris.
The league continues with upcoming events in Philadelphia (May 30–June 1) and Los Angeles (June 27–29).
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