Michelle Smith Breaks 29-Year-Old Record, Rises to World No. 2 in 400m Hurdles After Historic Run at Pepsi Florida Relays

Virgin Islands Sports Ambassador Michelle Smith continues to make history on the track. The University of Georgia freshman stormed to victory in the 400m hurdles at the 2025 Pepsi Florida Relays, clocking a blistering 54.56 seconds—earning her a world-leading time, breaking a nearly three-decade-old school record, and securing her place among the best hurdlers in the world. Smith’s performance shattered the University of Georgia’s long-standing record of 54.93 seconds set in 1996 by Icelandic Olympian Gudrun Arnadottir. The time also obliterated Smith’s own Virgin Islands national record of 55.96 seconds, underscoring her rapid rise as a global track contender. Her run at the Florida Relays, held in Gainesville on April 4-5, now qualifies her for the upcoming 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, Japan. The invitational section of the 400m hurdles at the Florida Relays was packed with competition, including two professional athletes and a junior from the University of Miami who had prev...