CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Anna Cockrell's road to redemption took another step as the Charlotte native clinched a spot in the finals of the women's 400-meter hurdles final at the Paris Olympics.
Cockrell finished her semifinal with a time of 52.90, which was fast enough for second in her semifinal race. She rallied from a slow start to finish behind Netherlands star runner Femke Bol. Fellow Americans Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Jasmine Jones also qualified for Thursday's final round. McLaughlin-Levrone ran her semi in 52.13 seconds, the fastest time ever recorded in a women's 400-meter semifinal at the Olympics.
The women's 400-meter hurdles final will be at 3:25 p.m. Eastern on Thursday. The race will be broadcast live on WCNC Charlotte and will air again during NBC's primetime coverage of the Olympics.
The women's 400-meter hurdles is one of the hottest tickets at the Olympics, as fans eagerly packed the stands to see world record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone compete. Femke Bol, the Netherlands runner who stole the show during the 4x400 mixed relay, is also a favorite to earn a medal in the 400-meter hurdles.
While Cockrell isn't one of the favorites to win a medal in Paris, getting to the final is a huge accomplishment for the Charlotte native. She was disqualified during the Tokyo Games for a lane violation, leaving many fans confused as to why she was eliminated from the competition.
For Cockrell, making the U.S. Olympic team was a huge mental hurdle.
"This time around I was almost more nervous at the Olympic Trials than I was in 2021," Cockrell told WCNC Charlotte's Ashley Stroehlein. "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."
WCNC Charlotte To Go is a daily news and weather podcast you can listen to so you can start your day with news that impacts you from the team at WCNC Charlotte.
SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts || Spotify || Pandora || TuneIn || Google Podcasts || iHeart
All of WCNC Charlotte's podcasts are free and available for both streaming and download. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. Join us from North Carolina, South Carolina, or on the go anywhere.