Olympic bronze medallist Megan Tapper made a strong statement in her 2025 season opener on Saturday, clocking a wind-assisted 12.65 seconds (+2.2 m/s) to win the final of the women’s 100m hurdles at the Pure Athletics Sprint Elite Meet in Florida.
Tapper had earlier cruised through the preliminary round in 12.85 seconds (+2.3 m/s), topping her heat with ease before tightening her execution in the final to claim victory over Ghanian Evonne Britton, who finished second in 12.87.
Despite the tailwinds exceeding the allowable limit for record purposes, the Jamaican star was all smiles after crossing the line—grateful not just for the win, but for the opportunity to compete again following an injury-disrupted 2024.
“I’m very, very grateful,” Tapper said. “Despite how things ended for me last year, I’ve been reminded of how much I love this sport and how much I appreciate every opportunity to compete. The sky is the limit.”
The Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist revealed that her return to hurdling was a recent one, making Saturday’s performance even more significant. “I didn’t start full-out sprinting and hurdling until just a month ago,” she admitted. “So for me to be out here and running these times—it just shows that with the audacity of faith, anything is possible.”
Still regaining her full rhythm over race height, Tapper acknowledged some nerves in the first round but felt encouraged after the initial run. “There was some apprehension going in because I hadn’t had much evidence in training to show I’d be fine. But once I got through the prelim and it felt great, I knew I just needed to tighten things up—and that’s what I did in the final.”
Tapper is expected to line up again this weekend at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational in Gainesville as she continues to build toward the Jamaican national trials and the 2025 World Athletics Championships.
Also shining on the day was Leah Anderson, who rebounded from a disappointing outing at the World Indoor Championships in March to claim a confidence-boosting victory in the women’s 600m open. Representing Atalanta NYC, Anderson edged a competitive field to clock 1:27.33, holding off Sarah Jane Underwood (1:27.37) and Brittany Ogunmokun (1:28.24).