Russell sets a new American record in the Grand Slam Track 100-meter hurdles

In the 100-meter hurdles at the Grand Slam Track meet in Miami on Friday, Olympic gold champion Masai Russell broke the record with a time of 12.17 seconds, the second-fastest time ever recorded in the event, setting an American record.

Russell, 24, was taken aback when she read the time on the scoreboard after she had passed fellow American Tia Jones, who had the third-fastest time ever recorded in the day’s first race (12.19 seconds). Ackera Nugent of Jamaica came in third.

On a sweltering day at the Ansin Sports Complex, the competition experienced the highest permitted tailwind of 2.0.

“I can’t even tell you,” she stated, her face showing surprise following the race.

“These women bring out the best in me.”

In 2016, Keni Harrison set the American record with a time of 12.20 seconds.

With a time of 12.12 seconds from the 2022 World Championships, Nigerian Tobi Amusan holds the current world record.

With a scorching time of 10.75 seconds, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden won the women’s 100-meter race in windy circumstances.

In 10.79 seconds, American Gabby Thomas came in fourth, followed by Nigerian Favour Ofili in third place and American Tamari Davis in second.

At last month’s Grand Slam Track debut in Kingston, Jamaica, Jefferson-Wooden also took home the 100-meter title.

“I want to be one of the greatest to ever perform this sport,” the American, who won bronze in the sport at the Olympics in Paris, said to FloTrack.”

“I don’t want to be one of the ones who they say, ‘She was always on the circuit, but she didn’t win a lot of medals,'” she explained.

“No, I want when people see Melissa Jefferson-Wooden to know that she’s here and she’s not here to play.”

On the men’s side, Andrew Coscoran, an Irishman, defeated Grant Fisher, an American, and George Mills, an Englishman, to win the 3000m in 8:17.56.

Its first season’s second Grand Slam Track meet takes place in Miami over three days.

The circuit, which was designed by four-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson, directly competes with the Diamond League, which has long been the global standard-bearer of the sport and holds 15 events annually in locations ranging from Xiamen to Zurich.