PARIS, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- American sprinter Masai Russell continued her rapid ascent by winning gold in the women's 100m hurdles at the Paris Olympics on Saturday.
The 24-year-old clocked 12.33 seconds to finish just one hundredth of a second ahead of France's Cyrena Samba-Mayela, who took silver.
Puerto Rico's Jasmine Camacho-Quinn claimed bronze in 12.36.
"I'm the fourth-fastest woman ever in this event, so it wasn't about knowing if I could or couldn't do it," Russell said. "It was just about remaining focused on what I could do, and honestly, just get over those hurdles and get to the line first."
It marked Russell's first medal at a major international competition. She competed in the event at the 2023 world championships but did not qualify for the final.
She revealed that she was given extra motivation by those who had doubted her.
"I could barely sleep last night," Russell said. "I was tossing and turning because I kept dreaming about my name coming up No. 1. When it actually came up, I was like, 'stop playing me, stop playing me.' Because so many people were saying so many crazy things about me, as they always do when you're not doing what they believe you're capable of.
"I just proceeded to shut out the noise, focused on what I could control. And I was literally - I don't want to say a shock, but it was truly a dream come true."
Russell added that she hoped her performance would inspire a new generation of athletes.
"I just want every young girl to understand and know that if you believe in yourself, if you can see the work, day in and day out, there's nothing that's impossible for you," she said. "I always tell myself that it's possible."
"This moment today was meant for me. So whatever moment that's out there that's meant for them," she added.
