Masai Russell reflects on breaking Tobi Amusan’s 100m hurdles world record
American Olympic champion Masai Russell has reflected on breaking Tobi Amusan‘s world record in the women’s 100m hurdles, admitting that becoming a world record holder is still difficult to comprehend.
Russell clocked 12.09 seconds at the Zurich Diamond League on August 27 to lower Amusan’s 12.12-second world record by three hundredths of a second.
The record had stood since 2022, when Amusan produced a historic performance at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
Amusan was present in Zurich and finished second behind Russell in 12.23 seconds, her season-best time.
Speaking to the Wanda Diamond League after the race, Russell struggled to put the achievement into words.
“It’s like I have, but I haven’t, but I have,” Russell said when asked about becoming a world record holder.
The 25-year-old also highlighted the importance of winning major titles and performing when the stakes are highest.
“To be considered one of the greatest, you have to have those accolades… to show that you’re able to do it when it matters the most,” she said.
Russell had already threatened Amusan’s record earlier in the season when she ran 12.14 seconds, moving within two hundredths of the world mark.
She eventually broke the record in Zurich, adding the world record to the Olympic title she won at Paris 2024.
Amusan set her 12.12-second record in the semi-finals of the 2022 World Championships before winning gold in the final.
She became Nigeria’s first world champion in athletics and remains the African record holder in the event.
Russell now holds both the world record and Olympic title, but she believes there is still room for improvement.
The American has identified the 12-second barrier as the next major target after becoming the first woman to officially run below Amusan’s previous world record.
Amusan’s reign may have ended, but her influence on the event remains significant.
Her 12.12-second performance stood for more than four years and established her as one of the defining figures in African athletics.
Russell’s record-breaking run has now opened a new chapter in the event, with the American beginning her reign while Amusan remains among the world’s leading hurdlers.