Masai Russell Wins Ultimate Championship After 2023 Setback

Three years after hitting a hurdle ended her dreams at her first World Championships, Masai Russell returned to Budapest's track and claimed the Ultimate Championship title in the 100m hurdles.

The Paris 2024 Olympic gold medalist crossed the finish line in 12.22 seconds on Friday, staying unbeaten throughout 2026. Nigeria's Tobi Amusan finished second in 12.34, with Netherlands' Nadine Visser taking third in 12.39.

Russell had every reason to feel confident heading into the race. In August, she set a new world record of 12.09 at Zurich's Diamond League, breaking the previous record held by Amusan.

But Budapest held painful memories. In 2023, the Washington D.C. native hit a hurdle in the semi-final at her first World Championships, crushing her medal hopes on this same track.

"Coming back here after hitting the hurdle in 2023 and now being the Ultimate Champion for me is a way to rewrite the story here," Russell told reporters. "When failure occurs, it is not really a failure, it is just a setback that sets you up to win."

The race started on a cold evening with Russell trailing behind the Bahamas' Devynne Charlton. Her muscles weren't firing in the chilly conditions, but she found her rhythm and powered through the line.

Why This Inspires

Russell's journey to the top wasn't smooth. After finishing fourth at last year's world championships in Tokyo, a race everyone expected her to win, she felt humiliated and questioned her place in the sport.

Instead of giving up, she did the self-work. "I had to really understand what I wanted out of this sport," she explained.

Even during tough times, Russell never stopped believing in herself. Before the world championships in 2025, she told Olympics.com she would one day break the world record: "The things that I speak over myself, the things I manifest over my life, I do believe that I'm the best hurdler in the world."

Now she's proven it. World record holder, Olympic champion, Diamond League record holder, and Ultimate Championship winner.

"I'm still in shock from the season that I've had, I'm still in shock from the things that I've manifested and talked about," Russell said after her Budapest victory.

Sometimes the best wins happen on the same ground where you once fell.