Deji’s Doodles: Russell threatened to break 11 seasons in the women’s 100H, Simbine is on a roll and Moora gets back to her feet

Deji’s Doodles: Russell threatened to break 11 seasons in the women’s 100H, Simbine is on a roll and Moora gets back to her feet

For the first and only time this season, Grand Slam Track and the Diamond League went head-to-head this past weekend. The second meet of the Grand Slam Track series took place in Miami from Friday to Sunday, while the Diamond League stop in Shanghai/Keqiao was held on Saturday. It was a packed weekend for track fans.

We have so many things to unpack from both meets as they were the headliners for both entusiasts and casuals of track and field. Here are some of the major talking points from the wekeend action.

Masai Russell Shakes Up History in Miami—and the 100m Hurdles May Be Headed Toward 11 Seconds

At the second stop of the Grand Slam Track series in Miami, Masai Russell delivered a performance that instantly changed the landscape of women’s sprint hurdling. In a high-stakes showdown featuring some of the world’s best, Russell ran the race of her life, clocking 12.17s to break Kendra Harrison’s American record from 2016. It was the kind of run that stops conversations and demands rewrites of all-time lists. Her time makes her the second-fastest woman in history, behind only Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan, who set the world record at 12.12 two summers ago. Behind Russell, Tia Jones also ran a stunning 12.19s to become the third-fastest woman ever. Two athletes, one race, and history remade in under 13 seconds.

Russell’s run didn’t come with months of hype or domination. She had shown glimpses of form during the indoor season, going undefeated and winning the U.S. title, but her outdoor performances leading up to Miami were modest. A fifth-place finish in Kingston and a 12.74 into a headwind at Drake didn’t suggest a breakout was around the corner. That’s what made Friday’s race all the more remarkable.

This race, and the historic times it produced, didn’t happen in a vacuum. Over the last three years, the women’s 100m hurdles has undergone a dramatic evolution. Amusan’s 12.12 world record in 2022, once seen as a generational outlier, has since become a benchmark others are now chasing and closing in on. The event has become one of the most competitive on the track, with more athletes consistently clocking 12.20 or faster than ever before. The difference now is in the depth of talent and the precision of performance. Races are being won—and lost by hundredths of a second, and every clipped hurdle can mean the difference between glory and disappointment.

A few years ago, the idea of someone running under 12 seconds might have seemed like fantasy. Today, it feels like a real possibility. Russell’s 12.17, Jones’ 12.19, and Amusan’s 12.12 are not outliers, they’re the signs of a ceiling that keeps rising.

Akani Simbine remains ahead of the chasing pack in the men’s 100m

It thus feels like the only athlete to have gotten out of second gear in the men’s 100m is South Africa’s Akani Simbine. I’m not going to crown him world champion yet, but heck, It will take a some performance from some high profile sprinters to knock him off his perch. His latest race at the Shanghai Diamond League which took place in Keqiao was an indication of his immense level of consistency and dedication to the sport.

Akani Simbine continues to show he’s not just sharp early in the season, he’s consistent, composed, and making winning look routine. Coming off a 9.99 opener in Xiamen, the South African sprinter followed it up with a 9.98 win in Keqiao. It wasn’t just the time that stood out, but the company he beat to the line. Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson, the Olympic Silver medallist, had a slight edge with 10 meters to go. But Simbine, with years of experience behind him, leaned in just right at the finish and snatched it by one hundredth of a second.

What makes Simbine so effective right now is his efficiency. He isn’t exploding out of the blocks or overpowering fields with raw speed; he’s running smart races. His acceleration phase is steady, his mechanics tight, and he knows when to pick his moment. Against runners like Thompson and Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, who finished third in 10.03, there’s no room for wasted motion. It’s timing, posture, and control. And in a year where every 100m race feels like a dress rehearsal for something bigger, Simbine is quietly stacking results that matter.

Where does that leave someone like Thompson? There isn’t much to unravel from this performance from a executional stand point except that he’s running this early in the season and he needs to grow into the season, unlike what we saw last year when he opened up at the Jamaican trials in June. On the flip side, the positive for Thompson is that he didn’t come out of control after the race and there are still things him and his coach can work on the get him back to pristine shape, too.

Mary Moora turned on the afterburners after a disappointing first two races at Grand Slam Track

Mary Moraa has always been known for her wild and fearless racing style. At her best, she’s unpredictable in the most exciting way, like when she went from first to last and somehow back to first to win the Commonwealth Games title. But at the recent Grand Slam Track series, she looked nothing like the runner we’re used to. She started off in Kingston with a surprising last-place finish in the 800 meters, then pulled out of the 1500 the next day. By the time she lined up for the 1500 again in Miramar, it was clear something was off. She stayed at the back, ran wide through most of the race, and finished a distant last in 4:24.44.

It was tough to watch Moraa look so unsure of herself. For someone who usually runs with guts and instinct, her body language told a different story. But the following day, she showed a bit of her old spark. In the 800 meters on Sunday, Moraa led from the start and held on to win in 1:59.51. It wasn’t fast by her usual standards, and certainly not enough to worry her main rival Keely Hodgkinson, but it was a step forward. She didn’t try anything fancy—just a simple race, executed well. Maybe she needed that win to remind herself who she is.

Freweyni Hailu, who had won the 1500 the day before, claimed the overall Slam title after finishing third in the 800. Moraa didn’t win the series, but her return to the front of the pack on Sunday felt meaningful. Sometimes, as Rocky Balboa once said, “It ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.” For now, Moraa’s moving forward again, and that’s what matters most.