ATHLETICS: Olympic champion Russell overcomes mental hurdles to inch closer to world record

BENGALURU – Olympic champion Masai Russell says she is inching closer to breaking the 100m hurdles world record after finally overcoming the mental hurdles of fear and self-doubt that haunted her throughout 2025.

Russell set a personal best of 12.17 seconds in May last year, just 0.05 seconds shy of Tobi Amusan’s world record. However, inconsistency kept her off the podium at the World Championships, where she finished fourth.

This year, the 25-year-old American is focused on season-long consistency. She clocked 12.25 seconds in the 100m hurdles at last week’s Shanghai Diamond League and hopes to improve on that time at 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 told reporters on Friday.

She admitted that fear of hitting the hurdles once held her back, but now sees that fear as irrational.

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

The hurdles races will take center stage in Xiamen, featuring 110m world champion Cordell Tinch and 400m hurdles Tokyo Olympic champion and three-time world champion Karsten Warholm. Warholm will face an elite field as he defends his Diamond League title.

The Norwegian, who took silver at the Paris Games behind American Rai Benjamin, will square off against Brazil’s Alison dos Santos, Paris bronze medalist, on Saturday.

“Alison, Rai, and the other guys, they keep me on my toes. I know there will never be an easy race,” Warholm said.

“This sport is super hard because there’s always someone who wants your position. So you’ve got to keep training or else you will be yesterday’s news.”

Ryan Crouser Returns to Competition

Facing tougher competition also drives Valarie Sion, discus champion at the last two Olympics, as she aims for a sixth straight Diamond League title.

“I think I still have more to show and more to prove… continue to push that ceiling while I’m in good health and motivated,” the 31-year-old said.

Xiamen will also mark the return of three-time Olympic shot put champion Ryan Crouser, who has been recovering from a right elbow injury.

The 33-year-old has not competed in a major official event since overcoming the injury to win his third World Championship in September.

“It’s been up and down, unfortunately not a linear healing progression. Still working around that, trying to get it all the way healthy and gain my confidence back,” Crouser said.

“The pieces are there, just have to put it together.”

-Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Davis/Reuters