Michelle Smith Sets World-Leading Time in 400m Hurdles, Breaks Multiple Records at Florida Relays

Virgin Islands Sports Ambassador Michelle Smith, a freshman at the University of Georgia, clocked a world-leading time of 54.56 seconds to win the 400-meter hurdles at the Pepsi Florida Relays on Friday and Saturday.

The performance not only earned her the top global mark at the time but also broke three major records, including a 29-year-old University of Georgia record and her own Virgin Islands national record.

Smith’s time surpassed the previous Georgia school record of 54.93 seconds set in 1996 by Olympian Gudrun Arnadottir of Iceland. It also demolished her previous Virgin Islands national record of 55.96 seconds. The run secured her qualification for this year’s World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, and placed her at the top of the NCAA rankings, according to the press release.

The win came during an invitational 400m hurdles section that featured two professional athletes and a Miami junior who had previously beaten Smith. Positioned between her top rivals, Smith chased early leader Tia-Adana Belle of Barbados through the first seven hurdles before pulling ahead in the final stretch to secure victory in a dramatic 110-meter sprint to the finish, the press release stated.

The University of Georgia freshman’s performance earned her a World No. 1 ranking —briefly — before Olympic champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone edged her mark just two hours later at the Grand Slam meet in Jamaica. Smith now holds the World No. 2 ranking in the women’s 400m hurdles, the release stated.