America’s Masai Russell Wins Thrilling Photo Finish in Women’s 100-Meter Hurdles, Samba-Mayela Claims Silver for France

In a nail-biting conclusion to the women’s 100-meter hurdles at the Olympic track meet, America’s Masai Russell emerged victorious in a photo finish on Saturday. Russell clocked in at 12.33 seconds, edging out France’s Cyrena Samba-Mayela by a mere .01 seconds. The race was so close that Russell had to wait 15 agonizing seconds before learning she had secured the win.

Defending champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, representing Puerto Rico, finished just .02 seconds behind Samba-Mayela to claim the bronze medal.

The loudest cheers of the night, however, were reserved for Samba-Mayela. Her silver medal broke a medal drought for the host nation, marking France’s first track and field medal of the Games. This moment of triumph came on the final day of competition at the Stade de France, where French fans had been eagerly awaiting a moment to celebrate one of their own.

Throughout the nine nights of competition, the stadium had been packed with enthusiastic supporters, cheering on athletes from across the globe, including stars from the United States, Kenya, and Norway. Yet, until this point, the most significant applause for a French athlete had come from those watching Léon Marchand win gold in swimming on the opening night of the track meet. The excitement was so palpable that race officials had to request quiet as spectators erupted in celebration.

Samba-Mayela’s silver medal offered French fans the chance to cheer for a homegrown talent in person, a moment of pride for a nation with a storied history in track and field. France has produced Olympic legends like Marie-José Pérec and Renaud Lavillenie, but the country has been without a track gold since Lavillenie’s pole vault victory in 2012.

Samba-Mayela’s success provided a much-needed boost for French athletics and a memorable conclusion to the track events at the Stade de France.