Losing Out on $100K, Olympic Gold Medalist Track & Field Star Gets Candid While Comparing Grand Slam Track to Athlos

She isn’t just a name in track and field—she’s a force. The Olympic gold medalist in the 100m hurdles has been lighting up the scene, and now she’s taking on the sport’s boldest new stage: Grand Slam Track (GST). For the fans, this is prime time—a chance to see a rising star break down what makes these meets special. She’s been running hard and talking straight, giving us the inside scoop on vibes, competition, and even the perks. So, how’s she sizing up these fresh tracks?

Well, Masai Russell misses out on $100k. Starting the Grand Slam Track, where Russell kicked off the season with a bang—almost. On April 5-6, 2025, at the GST opener in Los Angeles, she battled it out in the women’s 100m hurdles, clocking a blazing 12.45 seconds in her heat, according to official GST results. But in the finals, she finished just off the podium, missing the $100,000 top prize that went to the event’s winner. That’s a tough pill for any competitor, especially one with Russell’s pedigree—she snagged gold in Paris with a 12.33-second run. After that near-miss, she’s got thoughts on how GST compares to Athlos, where she raced last fall.

Well, speaking to LetsRunDotCom, she said, “Athlos was an all-women’s meet, so it was really fun, like just being all women’s, women empowerment, so you know that was a much different vibe,”. “Here it’s more of a point system, so you know we’re literally, it can change like from the first day to the second day, so it’s definitely a different format, but both of the energies of each meet are like, yeah, it’s really high, yeah.” GST’s points chase had her on edge—scores shift daily, and with $100,000 on the line, every hurdle counts. So, does the competition feel fiercer here?

When pressed on that, Russell kept it real: “Yeah, well, I mean at Athlos, I feel like every time the women hurdle, the women’s hurdles lineup, we’re always going to compete to the best of our abilities,” she said.  Athlos, held September 26, 2024, in New York, was a one-night explosion—Russell ran a 12.40-second stunner, per event records, in a star-packed field. GST, though, is a marathon, not a sprint. With three meets left in 2025—dates set for June, August, and October, per GST’s official schedule—it’s a season-long grind where points stack up and payouts loom large. Russell’s already eyeing that next shot at the cash. But what’s the scene like when she’s not racing?

Off the track, GST’s treating her right. “I mean, for me it hasn’t been any different,” she said. “I mean, the hotel is beautiful, super nice, super clean, um, and it’s all, the food was really good, food was good, so those are the two biggest things, yeah.” For an Olympic champ, top-tier digs and meals are clutch—and GST delivered at the L.A. venue, where athletes stayed in a swanky downtown hotel, according to event organizers. It’s the kind of setup that keeps you focused when you’re chasing six figures. But did the travel perks live up to the hype?

Oh, they did. “Yeah, I mean, I don’t want to like toot my own horn, I fly business all the time, so it wasn’t too different for me,” Russell grinned, “but it is a blessing to be at a meet that does accommodate that for, you know, us as racers.” GST promised business class flights for its stars, and they followed through—Russell jetted into L.A. in style, a perk confirmed by meet officials. For a pro used to the good life, it’s no biggie, but she’s not blind to the upgrade. How’s that kind of treatment fueling her fire?

From the 12.45-second heat to the $100,000 miss, Masai Russell’s GST story is just getting started. She’s vibing on Athlos’ women-powered energy and GST’s high-stakes chase, all while soaking up the luxe life off the track. With three more meets to go, she’s got her eyes on the prize—and we’ve got ours on her. But at the start, how did she even miss out on $100k? What exactly went wrong in the race?

Masai Russell Battles Wind and Hurdles at Grand Slam Track Opener

Masai Russell, our Olympic gold medalist in the 100m hurdles, took a $100,000 hit at Grand Slam Track (GST)—and she’s blaming the wind, not her legs. For fans, this is the kind of drama we crave: a champ facing down nature and still keeping her cool. At the GST opener on April 5-6, 2025, in Los Angeles, gusts turned the track into a battlefield, and Russell felt it hard. “I’m not too mad about it, you know, it was a very windy two first days,” she said, “so for me personally it was just good to see where I was at with these conditions and I don’t think I ran any bad times, um, the conditions just were not, you know, in my favor being undersized, but it is what it is.” That wind cost her the top prize—ouch—but she’s shrugging it off like a pro. So, how’d those gusts mess with her shot at the cash?

Picture this: Russell blazed a 12.45-second heat, a solid mark for the 5-foot-4 hurdler. But then came the finals, and the wind, clocked at 3.5 meters per second against her, smacked her right out of contention. That $100,000 prize slipped away, with the winner snagging it on a less brutal run. Still, Russell’s looking ahead. “It’s super early in the season,” she said, “and I know I’m going to bring this meet as an experience to my next couple competitions.” With three more GST stops—June, August, and October—she’s not crying over spilled cash; she’s plotting her comeback. How’s she staying positive after that windy robbery?

Here’s the kicker—she still had fun out there. “Yeah, I actually do enjoy running the 100,” Russell grinned, “just because it allows me to like focus on like my drive phase, keep my head down. I got a really good start, when I picked my head up that wind was just smacking me, but the 100 is fun.” A killer start, then a face full of gusts—no wonder that $100,000 stayed out of reach. For fans, it’s pure Russell: loving the race, even when the elements steal the bag. What’s her next move to flip this windy L into a big W?

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