Olympic 100mH champion Masai Russell explains her race preference despite being multitalented.
Olympic 100mH champion Masai Russell has opened up about her race preference.
Despite her success in the 400mH, Masai Russell does not see herself ever going back to the longer event. Russell also doesn’t believe she could be as competitive on the professional side of the event with the likes of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. However, the 100mH is traditionally one of the most loaded events in the U.S. and worldwide.
Ackera Nugent reflected on the challenges of transitioning to professional athletics, admitting that unlike in college, she can no longer afford an off day as she strives for consistency and success.
“I picked my poison and I just chose the 100H,” Russell told Track and Field News.
“I don’t think I want to be great in the 400 hurdles like I want to be great in the 100mH. I think that if that was the event that would have chosen me, then it would have happened. The 100 hurdles was the one that stuck out more than the 400mH. So, I’m glad because the 100mH doesn’t hurt your butt like the 400mH does.”
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Masai Russell 24, holds a personal best of 12.25 seconds over 100m hurdles which is tied for the fifth of all time, 7.75 seconds over 60m hurdles, which is 13th of all time and 54.66 seconds over 400mH.
As part of her strategy to excel in her 100mH, Masai Russell will not go to Nanjing, China for the indoor Worlds if she qualifies. She wants to use the time to prepare for the Texas Relays and then the first stop on the Grand Slam Track Tour in Jamaica in early April.
Russell is one of the core four in the 100/100H Grand Slam group, along with the other two women on the Olympic podium: Cyréna Samba-Mayela of France and Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico. Ackera Nugent is the fourth, and then there will be guest athletes at the four stops.
“It’ll be fun for me to get my feet wet in the 100,” Russell says, “I’ve run 12.20 in the 100H so I know I have the footspeed. I know I have what it takes to be a really good 100 runner. So the fact that it’s just a ground-breaking opportunity for us in the sport, I was just happy that I could be one of the first to be a part of it and to make history.”
Masai Russell put an excellent start to her 2025 season at the Millrose Games last weekend to post a world-leading 7.76 seconds in 60mH.
