SAINT-DENIS, France — America’s Masai Russell won a photo finish Saturday in the women’s 100-meter hurdles, giving the Maryland native a gold medal in her Olympic debut.

In a close-as-can-be race down the straightaway, Russell, a 24-year-old native of Potomac in Montgomery County, finished in 12.33 seconds, but had to wait another 15 seconds to learn she had beaten France’s Cyrena Samba-Mayela by .01. Defending champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, who competes for Puerto Rico, was another .02 back for bronze. The silver medal marks the first of any color for France at this Olympic track meet.

At the Bullis School, Russell was an eight-time national champion in the sprint relays and shuttle hurdle, a two-time national record holder in the 4×200 and shuttle hurdle and the Gatorade Maryland Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year in 2018.

“I just want every young girl to understand and know that if you believe in yourself, if you can see the work, day in and day out, there’s nothing that’s impossible for you,” Russell said. “I always tell myself that it’s possible. Can’t no-one take it away from you. This moment today was meant for me. So whatever moment that’s out there that’s meant for them, take advantage of the moment and the opportunity, because it’s meant for you.”

At the beginning of the season, Russell wrote down a list of goals she wanted to accomplish. On there: win an Olympic title.

She can check that one off.

“It was just about remaining focused on what I could do — and honestly, just get over those hurdles and get to the line first,” Russell said.

The Maryland native was all set to go to Tennessee before following a coach to the University of Kentucky. The Wildcats are almost synonymous with hurdles, given Kentucky has produced the likes of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Camacho-Quinn and silver medalist Kendra Harrison.

Russell used to be a 400 hurdler, like McLaughlin-Levrone, before switching over for good in college. McLaughlin-Levrone and Gabby Thomas teamed up for America’s 14th gold and 34th overall medal at the track Saturday, wrapping up the Olympic action at the Stade de France with a 4.23-second runaway in the women’s 4×400 relay.

“The 400 hurdles is no joke. It’s no joke to train for, it’s no joke to compete in,” Russell said. “I’m glad the 100 hurdles picked me. I’ve definitely grown a love for the 100 hurdles.”

This will definitely make for great media content for Russell, who, when she’s not hurdling, is a social influencer with around a million followers across all her platforms. She posts videos about hurdles, hair, health, training and dance moves. Some of her posts can get up to 60,000 “likes” from fans.

“I couldn’t even sleep last night I was tossing and turning. I don’t even know how many hours of sleep I got, because I was just thinking about it,” Russell said of winning a medal. “I was dreaming about it. The fact that it actually happens has meant the world.”

Russell treated herself to a Mercedes for making it to Paris.

Her reward for winning gold?

“Probably a house,” Russell said with a laugh.

On Friday, a crowd of 250 gathered at Bullis to cheer on Russell and fellow first-time Olympian Quincy Wilson, a 16-year-old from Potomac who became the youngest male to compete for the U.S. track team as part of the men’s 4×400-meter relay squad. Although Wilson struggled, sitting at seventh place when handed off the baton to in the first leg of Friday’s semifinal, he earned a gold medal after teammate Rai Benjamin held off Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo on the anchor leg of Saturday’s final as the U.S. set an Olympic record.

At 16 years, seven months and two days old, Wilson is the youngest U.S. male to win a medal in Olympic track and field. NBC cameras showed the teenager wearing a Team USA hat and cheering from the stands as the U.S. quartet of Christopher Bailey, Vernon Norwood, Bryce Deadmon and Benjamin completed the four laps in 2 minutes, 54.43 seconds, nearly a second faster than the American 4×400 team ran at the 2008 Beijing Olympics — and just .14 seconds off the world record set by the U.S. in 1993.

It’s the Americans’ 19th gold in the 26 runnings of the 4×400 relay at the Olympics. No other country has more than two golds.

“Team USA have always had dominance over the 4×4,” Bailey said, “and we just wanted to keep it going.”

Associated Press reporter Pat Graham contributed to this article.