Masai Russell (’23), a former Wildcat and 2023 Kentucky Track & Field alumna, punched her ticket to her first Olympics in magnificent style at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, on Sunday night.
Russell will join Team USA for the first time in the Paris Olympics, having won her maiden U.S. Championship in the 100-meter hurdles. The Potomac, Maryland native sprinted crossed the finish line in a world record 12.25 seconds. Russell’s performance is not only her third-straight personal best from these trials, but it also breaks Gail Devers’ 24-year-old U.S. Olympic Trials record of 12.33, set in 2000. It is also the fourth-fastest time ever recorded in the women’s 100m hurdles.
The Wildcats finished the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Eugene, Oregon with four U.S. championships and six overall medals after eight days of competition. The program will send five Americans to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris in August, along with two more alumni/staff members to represent Kentucky on the international stage.
Russell will fly to Paris with Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (2017-18), Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (2015-18; Team Puerto Rico), Andrew Evans (’14), Alexis Holmes (’22), Daniel Roberts (’19), and volunteer coach Devynne Charlton (Team Bahamas).
UKTF Paris Olympics Participating Athletes
Women
Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (2015-18; Team Puerto Rico) – 100mH
Alexis Holmes (’22) – 400m, relay pool
Devynne Charlton (Volunteer Coach; Team Bahamas)
Masai Russell (’23) – 100mH
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone – 400mH
Men
Andrew Evans (’14) – Discus Throw
Daniel Roberts (’19) – 110mH
Track & field events at the 2024 Paris Olympics begin August 1st and run until August 11th.
Andrew Evans (’14) outmuscled the competition tonight, punching his ticket to Paris as the Kentucky track and field team and its alumni wrapped up night seven of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Eugene, Oregon.
Evans joins Team USA after winning gold in the men’s discus throw final this evening, with a dominant throw of 218’6″/66.61 meters on his third try. He was the only athlete who threw for 66 meters on repeated attempts.
The Portage, Michigan native will compete in his second Olympics, having made his debut in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2016, finishing 16th. He joins other UKTF graduates Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (2015-18; Team Puerto Rico), Alexis Holmes (’22), Daniel Roberts (’19), and volunteer coach Devynne Charlton, who qualified for the Olympics earlier this week.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (UKTF 2017-18) once again crushed the field in the 400-meter hurdles semifinals, clocking a world-leading 52.84 seconds and qualifying automatically for tomorrow’s final.
Masai Russell (’23) and Keni Harrison (’15) repeated their success in the 100-meter hurdles, qualifying automatically for tomorrow’s final. Russell finished in a three-way tie for first place with a time of 12.36, while Harrison finished sixth with a time of 12.52.
Abby Steiner (’22) finished sixth in the women’s 200 meters final with a time of 22.24, narrowly missing out on her first Olympic team.
The final day of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials will begin tomorrow night at 8:00 p.m. ET, with the women’s 100-meter hurdles final featuring Alumnae Masai Russell (’23) and Keni Harrison (’15).
