PARIS, France — Charlotte native Anna Cockrell entered her second Olympics with a sense of relief. She'll return home with a sense of pride after finishing on the podium in the women's 400-meter hurdles final.
Cockrell earned the silver medal with a time of 51.87. The former NCAA champion, who became a track star at Providence Day School, leaves Paris with a medal after her first Olympics ended with heartbreak.
Cockrell was disqualified for a lane violation in Tokyo, leaving fans worldwide to question what she did wrong. Now, three years later, Cockrell can celebrate with her silver medal, adding yet another achievement to her already amazing career. In 2016, Cockrell won the IAAF World U20 championships in Poland. From there, she won the 400-meter hurdle NCAA Championship with a time of 55.23.
Despite her success, Cockrell admitted she was suffering in silence, battling depression in high school and college. It wasn't until a hamstring injury took her off the track that Cockrell wasn't able to hide her fight. She credited time away from the sport during the COVID-19 pandemic with getting her mental health on track.
“The two things I don't like to talk about are the fact that I've battled depression on and off since my 10th-grade year and that I'm a perfectionist," Cockrell said during her commencement speech at USC. "This perfectionism means that I don't like to ask for help I don't like to seem weak, I don't like to let people know that I struggle.”
Making the U.S. Olympic team was a crucial step for Cockrell's mental health, too. Despite being one of the best runners in the world, Cockrell told WCNC Charlotte she felt pressure to qualify for Paris.
"This time around I was almost more nervous at the Olympic Trials than I was in 2021," Cockrell said. "I felt in 2021 I was able to sneak my way onto the team, where this time people know my name and what I'm able to run. It was almost more of a relief to make the team this time."
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