Masai Russell Eyes World Record After Overcoming Mental Hurdles

Olympic champion Masai Russell feels she is inching closer to breaking the 100m hurdles world record after finally getting over the mental hurdles of fear and self-doubt that plagued her throughout 2025.

Russell clocked a personal best of 12.17 seconds in May last year, 0.05 seconds short of Tobi Amusan’s world record, but ‌was unable to maintain consistency as she missed out on the podium at the World Championships, finishing fourth.

But this year, the 25-year-old American is aiming for season-long consistency, after clocking 12.25 seconds in the 100m hurdles at last week’s Shanghai Diamond League, which she hopes to improve on in Saturday’s Xiamen meet.

“It’s weird, I kind of struggled with some doubt ... trying to prove to everybody else who I was, rather than just operating in the realm of who I ⁠know that I am,” Russell said on Friday.

Russell said she was afraid of hitting the hurdles while running, a fear she ‌has since realised was not rational.

“What we will see this year is just me running consistent fast times ... and just continuing to build to that world record,” she said.