For some athletes, achievements are more than just a feather on their cap with their wins dedicated to something heartwarming. The 200m women’s US Olympic trials final witnessed an emotional McKenzie Long pace to the finish line, narrowly keeping track and field star Sha’Carri Richardson away. And she did it all for someone special in her life.
Right before the track season commenced this year, Long lost her mother, Tara Jones, to a heart attack. Despite the tragedy, she chose to run in honor of her, and the finals were her make-or-break moment.
Long has been a three-time NCAA champion, powering through the tragedy that took place earlier this year. Throughout her sprints, she firmly believed that she held strong support from the beyond that pushed her to be better than her best this season.
The finals witnessed Gabby Thomas and Brittany Brown zoom to the finish line at the first and second positions. Long followed the duo with a jaw-dropping 21.91 record, securing her ticket to Paris.
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“After losing her mom earlier in the season, @kenzielong21 achieves their Olympic dream…”
In a post-race interview, Long was emotional while talking about what the win and the Olympic entry meant to her. All of her hard work through the NCAA Championships and previous competitions finally gave her the result she expected. As a cherry on top, her win was sweeter after a narrow miss at the 100m, which almost got her down.
“All I got to say is, mom, your baby girl going to Paris! That’s it. I’m just really happy. I was able to execute my race given what happened in the 100m.”
Long’s struggle and drive to ace the sprint soon spread the fuel to her competitors as well. Towards the end of the trials, the finalists shared an emotional embrace as they came to terms with their achievements. And throughout it all, they had each other’s backs.
Gabby Thomas credited McKenzie Long for setting the bar high
Long’s tragedy this year united all the track and field athletes, who were proud of the NCAA champion for pushing through it. After the semi-final trials, Gabby Thomas voiced her respect and support for her fellow sprinter for the same.
Calling her participation “incredible”, Thomas admitted that Long’s perseverance and resilience inspired her to do her best. Setting an example of true sportsmanship, the duo’s interaction after realizing they’d be working as a team was heartwarming for track and field fans to witness.
