Russell: Breaking Amusan’s World Record Was One Of My Goals

Olympic champion Masai Russell has revealed that breaking Tobi Amusan’s 100m hurdles world record was one of the major targets she set for herself this year, but the American insists her job is not yet complete.

Russell ended Amusan’s four-year reign as world-record holder last week at the Weltklasse in Zurich, clocking 12.09 seconds to erase the Nigerian’s 12.12 mark.

Speaking at the Diamond League Final pre-race press conference in Brussels on Thursday, the 25-year-old said her focus has now shifted to winning major titles, beginning with the Diamond League Final.

‘My goal for the year was these two meets, the Diamond Final and the Ultimate Championships,’ Russell said.

‘I broke the world record last week in Zurich, but the job isn’t completely done. To be considered one of the greats, you have to win titles, and the Diamond League is one of the titles I want to win after Olympic glory.’

Russell, who already owns Olympic gold, will now attempt to add the Diamond League title to her collection before turning her attention to the World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest later this month.

‘I want to win in Brussels and then at the Ultimate Championships,’ she added. ‘A couple of golds, a couple of titles, before I can consider myself one of the greatest.’

While Russell’s world-record run came as a major blow to Amusan, the American admitted that surpassing the Nigerian’s mark had been a deliberate target rather than an unexpected achievement.

‘Breaking the (Tobi’s) world record was one of the goals I had for the year, and that has been achieved,’ Russell said.

Russell will face Amusan again in Brussels, setting up another highly anticipated clash between the new world-record holder and the Nigerian who had dominated the event for four years.