Volkswacht Bodensee - USA's Russell wins Olympic women's 100m hurdles gold

NYSE - LSE
RBGPF -1.53% 65.99 $
NGG 0.34% 75.49 $
RIO 0.1% 94.56 $
BP -0.59% 44.15 $
BTI -0.7% 55.63 $
RELX 0.03% 33.52 $
VOD 0.78% 16.62 $
GSK -0.83% 49.24 $
RYCEF -1.53% 19.6 $
AZN 1.21% 166.58 $
CMSC -0.54% 20.4 $
BCC 1.35% 77.14 $
BCE -1.57% 20.97 $
JRI -1.36% 11.02 $
CMSD -0.34% 20.3 $
USA's Russell wins Olympic women's 100m hurdles gold
USA's Russell wins Olympic women's 100m hurdles gold / Photo: © AFP

USA's Russell wins Olympic women's 100m hurdles gold

Masai Russell of the United States snatched victory in the Olympic women's 100m hurdles on Saturday, edging out France's Cyrena Samba-Mayela in a photo finish.

Text size:

Russell edged home in 12.33sec to take gold, just a whisker ahead of Samba-Mayela, who clinched the host nation's first athletics medal of the games in 12.34sec.

Puerto Rico's Jasmine Camacho-Quinn took bronze in 12.36sec.

In a thrilling final at the Stade de France, it looked as if home hope Samba-Mayela might have snatched a sensational gold medal after crossing the finish line neck-and-neck with Russell.

But after a brief delay, victory was awarded to Russell by the finest of margins ahead of the Frenchwoman.

Confirmation of Samba-Mayela's silver nevertheless drew one of the loudest roars of the week from the Parisian crowd.

Russell led a powerful US contingent into the final alongside compatriots Alaysha Thompson and US collegiate champion Grace Stark.

But Thompson's challenge faltered after she clipped a hurdle mid-race, leaving a three-way battle for gold with Russell, Samba-Mayela and Camacho-Quinn.

K.Sutter--VB