In the upcoming 2024 Olympic year, Michael Norman is set to make a big comeback in the individual 400m event. The 26-year-old sprinter made a decision to shift his focus from the 100m to the 400m after a disappointing performance in last July’s USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships. However, Norman faced several setbacks during the 2023 season, including tendonitis, which hindered his progress.
To secure a spot on the Paris Olympic team in the individual 400m event, Norman will need to finish in the top three at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials scheduled from June 21-30 in Eugene, Oregon. After struggling with coaching changes earlier this season, Norman reunited with his former coach Quincy Watts as confirmed by his representative.
In his first race since last July, Norman clocked 44.21 seconds in the 400m at an invitational meet held on May 15th, ranking him as one of the fastest runners in the world so far this year based on best time. This time was just one hundredth faster than Jamaican Antonio Watson’s winning time at last year’s world championships held in August. Despite being the fastest 400m runner in the previous Olympic cycle, he finished fifth at Tokyo Games due to poor performance and injuries.
Michael Norman has been known for his impressive performances on both tracks and fields since he won gold at USC Trojans back in college years of USC Trojans (2017 -2018) and he wants to achieve more successes like that before retiring from athletics career