CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte native Anna Cockrell made her Paris Olympics debut on Sunday, competing in the opening round of the women's 400-meter hurdles.
Cockrell was the fastest in her race, finishing with a time of 53.91. The former NCAA champion easily qualified for the semifinals on Tuesday, Aug. 6.
Cockrell clinched her spot the in Olympics with a second-place finish in the U.S. Olympic Trials earlier this summer.
"This time around, I was almost more 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."
Born into a family of athletes, Cockrell developed her passion for track as a teen and was winning world championships by the time she graduated high school. In 2016, she won gold in the women's 400-meter hurdles with a personal best time at the 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships in Poland. She also won gold in the women's 4x400 relay.
Paris marks Cockrell's second time competing in the Olympics. She was at the center of a big controversy at the Tokyo Games when she was disqualified for a lane violation.
Despite her success on the track, Cockrell was suffering in silence, battling depression throughout high school and college. That all changed at the 2019 NCAA championships when Cockrell's hamstring injury removed her from competition. It was at this point she came forward about her depression.
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