PARIS, FRANCE — After a fifth-place finish in the Women’s 400m Hurdles Final at the Olympic Games on Thursday, national champion Rushell Clayton has expressed a renewed commitment to working harder to become the top hurdler in the world next season.

Clayton was considered by many to stand a chance of winning a medal at Stade de France. However, she was outpaced by world record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone who won the event in a world record time of 50.37 seconds. McLaughlin-Levrone’s time was more than two seconds faster than Clayton’s fifth-place effort of 52.68s Another Jamaican, Shiann Salmon, finished sixth in 53.29s.

Clayton has acknowledged that the event has been evolving rapidly, with competitors running significantly faster, and says for her to remain competitive she must elevate her performance.

“I don’t think it is a step from what I am used to,” she said. “I think the game has evolved, and I have improved, and I think that everybody out there has improved — if you look at the times. I just need to go back, get stronger, get faster, and come again.”

Reflecting on her journey, Clayton said, “My first medal was 53.7(4), and I got a bronze with 52.8(1), and today [Thursday] I finished with 52.6 and was way down the pack, so that tells you how far the game has gone; and all I need to do is go back, work harder, and come again.”

The 31-year-old, coached by Reynaldo Walcott at Elite Performance Track Club, has a personal best time of 52.51 seconds, which is also her season’s best, making her the fastest Jamaican in the event this year and the fifth-quickest globally. She previously won bronze medals at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Qatar, and in Budapest, Hungary, in 2023.

Clayton said she gave her best effort to win a medal but acknowledged that her competitors were simply stronger on the day.

“I honestly think that I executed a really good race but the ladies were just better than me today,” she said. “I think I ran the race I set out to run but I just didn’t have the legs to finish in a medal position.

“Honestly, I am hurt because I wanted to finish in a medal position. But, it just shows me there is still more work to be done, and I am willing to go back and do what’s necessary to be on top.”