American Olympic champion Masai Russell believes that she is closer than ever to breaking the world record for the 100-meter hurdles, after she was finally able to overcome her psychological fears and the state of doubt that haunted her throughout the year 2025.
Last May, Russell achieved her personal best time of 12.17 seconds, bringing her just 0.05 seconds closer to the world record held by Nigerian runner Tobi Amusan, but she did not succeed at that time in maintaining a stable level, and settled for fourth place in the World Championships, far from the podium.
This season, the 25-year-old American athlete is seeking to achieve greater consistency in performance, after she recorded 12.25 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles during the “Shanghai Meet” in the Diamond League competitions, while she is looking forward to improving her time in the “Xiamen Meet” scheduled for Saturday.
Russell said that she was previously plagued by doubts, explaining that she was trying to prove herself to others instead of relying on her confidence in her true abilities. She also admitted that she was afraid of colliding with barriers during the race, before realizing later that this fear was irrational.
She stressed that her goal during the current season is to achieve consistently fast times, and to continue striving towards breaking the world record.
It is expected that hurdle races will receive great attention at the “Xiamen Meeting”, with the participation of world champion in the 110-meter hurdles, Cordell Tench, along with Norwegian Carsten Warholm, champion of the Tokyo Olympics and three-time world champion in the 400-meter hurdles.
Warholm won the silver medal in the Paris Olympics behind American Ray Benjamin, and in Xiamen he will face strong competition from Brazilian Alison dos Santos, who won bronze in Paris.
Warholm stressed that the intensity of competition always keeps him in a state of focus and readiness, pointing out that this sport does not give any guarantees, because there is always someone who seeks to take your place, which forces athletes to continue working and constantly developing.
In the discus throw competition, Olympic champion Valerie Sion continues her quest to win her sixth consecutive title in the Diamond League, stressing that she still has a lot to offer as long as she maintains her physical readiness and enthusiasm for competition.
The “Xiamen Meet” also witnesses the return of American Ryan Crozier, the three-time Olympic champion in the shot put, after a period of absence due to a right elbow injury.
Crozier explained that the recovery journey was not easy, but he continues to work to regain his full readiness and self-confidence, stressing that all the elements are there, and all he has to do is rearrange them correctly.
