TOKYO, Japan — Anna Cockrell has qualified for finals after placing second in her heat of the women's 400-meter hurdles in the Tokyo Olympics Monday morning.
Cockrell qualified in the 400m hurdles with a stunning time of 54.17, first-place finisher Femke Bol finished with a time of 53.91.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers posted a video to Twitter as Cockrell's brother cornerback Ross Cockrell watched his sister compete in the Olympics.
Cockrell, 23, was born in California then moved to Charlotte, attending Providence Day School for high school, graduating in 2016. Her father, Kieth Cockrell, was named president of Bank of America Charlotte in May 2021. Her brother, Ross, played football for the Carolina Panthers.
When qualifying for the Olympics at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, she broke her own school record (54.68) with a run of 53.70, finishing third in the 400-meter hurdles final. She had just set that record the previous week, as she won an NCAA title on the same track in Eugene, Oregon.
This is Cockrell's first time competing in the Olympics. In a tweet, Cockrell said walking around the Olympic Village, it all sank in.
"Really unbelievable and got a little emotional about all of this," Cockrell said, in part.
