A trio of American women, Dalilah Muhammad, Sydney McLaughlin, and Anna Cockrell, are gunning for the 400-meter hurdles gold.
Why did Anna Cockrell Get DQ
The first is an Olympic gold medallist, the second holds a world record, and the third is an NCAA champion who is making their Olympic debut.
On Wednesday at Olympic Stadium, three ladies will go head-to-head for the women’s 400-meter hurdles gold medal: Dalilah Muhammad, Sydney McLaughlin, and Anna Cockrell.
On Monday, the rain poured down throughout the semifinals, yet everyone still made it through to the finals. There was no rain on their parade because they had already made it to the championship game.
A finals showdown between these two teams will “certainly be quite a show,” Muhammad said.
A 31-year-old, Muhammad is the most seasoned member of the team. World record held by the former USC All-American and 2016 Olympic gold medalist until it was broken by McLaughlin at the U.S. Olympic Trials in June.
Muhammad breezed through her semi-final match on Monday, facing no challenges from either her competitors or the weather.
She Reported Little Eye Irritation but Overall Health:
“I was OK, aside than my eyes.”
Despite being the reigning Olympic champion, Muhammad claimed she was under no pressure to perform. She acknowledged that there is additional stress on her shoulders now that she holds a world record.
“You put that much pressure on yourself because you look at yourself as being No. 1 and you want to finish that way,” she said. The current champion, you say? Four years have passed since then.
It’s been a long time.
McLaughlin ran the 100-meter dash in 51.90 seconds at the Olympic trials in Eugene, Oregon, besting Muhammad’s previous mark of 52.16 seconds.
Does Holding the Record make her Feel any more Pressure?
She explained that while it was important to recognise what had taken place, there was still work to be done. Therefore, aim to improve from there. To see how far I can go, I need to go better than in the last trial race.
McLaughlin Cruised to Victory in her Monday Semifinal.
It’s a good thing I have waterproof mascara,” she said jokingly.
McLaughlin is taking part in the Olympics for the second time. When she was 16 years old, five years ago, she came in sixth.
She explained that the initial performance “was kind of simply gathering experience.” When I was 16, I was just starting to understand how things worked and realise that my perspective is unique.
After advancing from the heats on Saturday, Cockrell admitted that she was anxious because this is her first Olympics. She stated she was finally able to let go of the sensation after making it to the final and admitting she was rooting for her.
Athletes have claimed that treating the Olympics like any other track meet helps them overcome their nerves. Cockrell gave that a shot, but it wasn’t successful.
She said, “It was shocking when I got out there and the reality of it all struck me.”
She has so Accepted the Significance.
I allowed myself to think, “This is the Olympic semifinals. A lot rides on this. She admitted, “This is the largest meet of my life, and that’s OK.”
Cockrell stated she had a conversation with her brother Ross, a defensive back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The pressure of performing on the largest platform is something she and her Super Bowl-winning brother can discuss openly, so that’s why she thinks having him as a sibling is “very amazing.”
On Monday, Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians made sure his players and staff could watch Anna Cockrell’s competition by turning on all the TVs in the facility.
Wow, she exclaimed in dismay. “I have to stop sobbing throughout these interviews,” she said.
American Gabrielle Thomas joined Muhammad, McLaughlin, and Cockrell in qualifying for the women’s 200-meter final on Tuesday. This Thursday, both Michael Norman and Michael Cherry qualified for the finals of the men’s 400-meter race.
