USA’s Masai Russell edges France’s Cyrena Samba-Mayela to win Olympic gold in 100-meter hurdles photo finish

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SAINT-DENIS, France — They cleared the final hurdle, threw themselves across the finish line and then stared up at the Stade de France video board anxiously waiting to see who’d won.

American Masai Russell backpedaled in anticipation. France’s Cyrena Samba-Mayela fought back tears and held her hands to her mouth in prayer. Puerto Rico’s Jasmine Camacho-Quinn knelt on the track with her eyes locked on the screen.

After 10 seconds that must have felt like 10 hours, the trio of women’s 100-meter hurdles medalists learned that Russell had captured Olympic gold. The American pumped her fists, screamed and ran down the track in celebration as Samba-Mayela sobbed on the track and Camacho-Quinn did her best to comfort her.

Russell came away with the victory in 12.33 seconds, less than a tenth of a second shy of her personal best. Samba-Mayela was second, just one-hundredth of a second behind Russell. Camacho-Quinn, the reigning Olympic champion, took bronze in 12.36 seconds.

The eight women who made Saturday’s 100 hurdles final combined to form one of the fastest fields ever assembled. World-record holder and 2022 world champion Tobi Amusan of Nigeria failed to advance to the final despite clocking a semifinal time of 12.55 seconds. That time would have medaled at four of the past five Olympics.

Amusan wasn’t the only potential medalist who didn’t make it to Sunday’s final. Nia Ali, who was part of an American 100 hurdles medal sweep in Rio, clocked a time of 12.37 seconds in the final at U.S. Olympic Trials, yet finished fourth. Former world record holder Keni Harrison ran a 12.39 and settled for sixth.

That meant it was time for the next generation of American 100 hurdlers to shine on an Olympic stage.

In Lane 5 was Russell, the 24-year-old NCAA record holder and social media influencer with nearly 1 million followers across her platforms. To Russell’s right was Alaysha Johnson, the largely unsponsored 28-year-old who qualified for Paris earlier this summer while wearing a borrowed pair of spikes. To Russell’s left was Grace Stark, the 23-year-old who has recovered from a severe leg injury that doctors feared would be career-ending.

Stark finished a close fifth in 12.43 seconds. Johnson clipped the third hurdle and was lucky not to fall. She finished second-to-last in seventh place.