Justin Gatlin drops 3-word reaction to Masai Russell's impressive victory at Grand Slam Meet Miami

Justin Gatlin was impressed by Olympic champion Masai Russell's recent achievements at the Grand Slam Meet held in Ansin Sports Complex, Miami. The 24-year-old hurdler fell agonizingly short of the world record in women's 100m hurdles, recording the second-fastest timing overall.

Russell clocked 12.17 seconds, surpassing her previous best she had achieved at the US Olympic trials last year. The world record for this event is 12.12 seconds, achieved by Nigerian hurdler Tobi Amusan at the World Championships held in Eugene, Oregon, in 2022.

Gatlin expressed his thoughts on Masai Russell in just three words as he wrote on X:

"Masai just cooked"

Russell was unable to believe the magnitude of her success. In her interview with NBC Sports after the race, the Olympic champion said:

“I didn’t expect that, but I just went out there and competed. It shows when you turn your brain off and compete, you don’t know what you’re capable of.”

Masai Russell had previously clocked 12.25 seconds at the US Olympic trials, which was the world leading performance at that time. She had also surpassed the Olympic record timing of 12.26 seconds, achieved by Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico at Tokyo Olympics. Russell later outperformed Camacho-Quinn in an intense race to win the Olympic gold medal for women's 100m hurdles at the Paris Games.

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Masai Russell shared feelings about her incredible turnaround from heartbreak at the World Championships to victory at the Paris Olympics

Masai Russell makes her feelings known on the incredible turnaround from the World Championships to the Paris Olympics [Image Source: Getty]

Masai Russell had a fairytale journey in less than one and a half years from her heartbreak at the Budapest World Championships. The 24-year-old hurdler had missed out on the finals after she hit a hurdle during the semifinals.

Yet, the American didn't give up on her dreams. In a conversation with Justin Gatlin and Rodney Green on the podcast channel Ready Set Go, the Olympic champion said [4:58 onwards]:

"It was definitely a very emotional time for me because I did really see myself making to that World Championship final and when I hit the hurdle, I literally couldn't believe it, and I saw the race run away from me. I'm like you know that was my first time, but I'm going to be back for sure."

Russell went on to win the 100m hurdles gold medal at the Paris Olympics after an intense final. The American hurdler clocked 12.33 seconds as she outpaced other runners to finish at the top.