Masai Russell is grateful for everything her Olympic debut season taught her about perseverance and strength. Somewhere, she knew she wanted the gold in the 100m hurdles and had prepared for years to get there. However, a tiny setback at the Olympic Village threatened her title.
At The Pivot Podcast, hosted by Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor, and Channing Crowder, Russell opened up about the night before the big race. Like every other athlete who lived in the village at the time, Russell also faced trouble with the accommodations and the overwhelming feeling of competing on such a big stage.
However, even when she pushed through the discomfort, she confessed how thoughts about her race had kept her up at the time. Twelve seconds could make or break her future, and to think that a tiny error could cost her the entire race got her mind up and running.
Speaking about not getting enough sleep the night before she won her Olympic gold, Russell recalled experiencing something like that for the first time.
“I have an aura ring and it tracks my sleep. But it was dead that night…it felt like I got no sleep at all.”
However, Russell was determined to make it work the next morning, especially after remembering how hard she had worked for that moment. Getting to the Olympics and having the chance to represent and win for one’s country was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and the 24-year-old wouldn’t let that opportunity pass her by.
“I’ll be da***d if I compete at the Olympics and I let me not get in some sleep the day of my race affect my performance…I’m not going to allow anything at this moment in time to deter me from this goal.”
Hurdles have always been a high-stakes track and field event, and Russell knew she would already face the risk of errors. A minor slip-up in the momentum could result in a stumble, and she did not want that to happen.
In the end, all she did throughout the race was to keep her eyes on the prize and the finish line. While she humored herself, thinking how she couldn’t sleep through the night just for those twelve seconds, she knew her efforts were worth it all.
