Masai Russell has proven her worth not only in the Olympics but also at subsequent competitions. Fans have hailed her speed and strategy, and she has been in the spotlight for quite some time now. However, does she have the potential for a world record in the upcoming season? She recently opened up on the subject.
In a candid chat at The Pivot Podcast, Russell talked about her life, reflections, goals, and ultimate motive to establish a new world record. Hosts Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor, and Channing Crowder wanted to know more about how she planned to achieve her grand goal.
Russell kept it real throughout the conversation, establishing that she knew she had a lot of room to improve before getting to the world record. That said, she had the zeal and passion to push beyond her limits if necessary to achieve the feat in the near future.
However, when asked if she knew what it took to beat the existing record, Russell was unsure about the trigger and the timeline.
“Everything I’ve spoke has come to pass, so I know I’ll be the world record holder at some point. I don’t know when. I don’t know where.”
Maintaining a positive outlook throughout the situation seems to be the go-to technique for the 24-year-old. Establishing a personal best at 12.25s for the 100m hurdles, Russell pointed out that she was still quite close given how the record stood at 12.20s, which gave her the fuel to trudge forth.
“It could be much better and there’s a lot more work to be done. There’s a lot more strength to be put on to myself. I’m still very small for like my event.”
She acknowledged that she still had a long way to go to reach her peak physical form on the track, considering that she is relatively young compared to other athletes.
Apart from the world record, the hurdle icon has many more goals to fulfill to satisfy her soul. One of the key areas she wishes to work on is community work and giving back to society.
She confessed that her true calling was to help younger, less privileged athletes find direction toward their passion. Whether providing proper gear or just verbal motivation, Russell believed that she ultimately wanted to build an environment she would’ve wanted during her formative years.
So far, she has been doing her best to inspire the youth by attending various workshops and making public appearances at various sporting events.
