Masai Russell recently sent a strong message while gearing up for the 2025 World Athletics Championships. Russell earned the spot to compete in the 100m hurdles event at the 2025 USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. The Paris Olympics gold medalist clocked 12.22 seconds and outdid Grace Stark and Alaysha Johnson, who posted 12.26 and 12.31, respectively, to clinch the spot. The American hurdler will compete in Tokyo to upgrade her performance from Budapest, where she settled in ninth place. Sharing a few pictures of herself while proudly flaunting the Team USA kit, Russell wrote:"I heard TOKYO is calling ❤️🇯🇵 📞!! world champs here I come 🙏🏽." View this post on Instagram Instagram PostRussell will be competing as the frontrunner in the 100m hurdles event in Tokyo, a prospect that she earned after winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics. Russell won her first Olympic medal by setting a striking time of 12.33 seconds. She achieved this feat by defeating Cyréna Samba-Mayela and Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, who recorded 12.34 and 12.36 seconds, respectively. Alaysha Johnson and Grace Stark will accompany Russell in the USA hurdles team. The 2025 World Athletics Championships are lined up from September 13 to 21, at the National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. "This is important to me" - Masai Russell expresses joy after earning her first Diamond League victory at the Silesia edition Masai Russell during the 2025 USATF Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo via Getty Images)Masai Russell recently expressed her joy after winning her first Diamond League. She clinched this feat at the Silesia Diamond League, held on August 16, 2025. The 25-year-old hurdler surpassed fellow American Tonea Marshall and Nigeria's Tobi Amusan, who posted 12.24 and 12.25 seconds, respectively. The Olympian earned her first Diamond League victory by registering a meeting record of 12.19 seconds. Following her historic feat, she stated the importance of her win and showed her confidence for the World Championships."This is my first Diamond League win, so I’m so happy!” Russell said. “This is important to me because these are the women I am going to be running against at World Championships. I did it at USAs, and now I’ve done it on the world stage”.Russell has enjoyed a remarkable season so far, including her second-fastest 100m hurdles time in history at the Grand Slam Track Miami. She posted 12.17 seconds, only five hundredths behind Tobi Amusan’s world record set at the 2022 World Athletics Championships.