McKenzie Long reflects on three things which triggered her emotions that cost her 100m Paris Olympics spot for Team USA

McKenzie Long reflects on three things which triggered her emotions that cost her 100m Paris Olympics spot for Team USA

Mark Kinyanjui 20:23 - 14.01.2025

McKenzie Long has opened up on three things that affected her 100-meter performance at the USATF Olympic trials in 2024, an event that saw eventual medalists Sha'Carri Richardson and Mellisa Jefferson make the American team for Paris.

McKenzie Long, the reigning NCAA national champion in the 100 meters, has revealed the emotional hurdles that hindered her ambition to make the US Olympic team for the 2024 Summer Games.

 Although she secured a spot on the 200-meter team, where she went on to make the fina eventually won by Gabby Thomasl, finishing seventh in her first ever games,  Long fell short in the 100 meters, exiting at the semi-final stage during the USATF Olympic Trials in June 2024.

The Star Athletics club-trained trio of Sha’Carri Richardson, Melissa Jefferson, and Twanisha ‘Tee Tee’ Terry claimed the coveted 100-meter spots, leaving Long to reflect on the challenges she faced on the day of the trials.

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 Speaking on Justin Gatlin’s Ready Set Go podcast, she shared how the combination of her mother’s tragic passing in January 2024 and other emotionally charged moments impacted her performance.

“Going into trials, I was probably so emotionally not myself just because I had come off a high of winning nationals—three-time national champion,” Long explained. “I had to make a team, and physically, I was there but not there.”

Despite her accomplishments, Long admitted that the 100 meters is not her strongest event. “Going into the 100, everyone knows that is not my cup of tea. I won nationals in the 100, but the 200 is where I enjoy performing.”

One of the pivotal moments Long described was being gifted by an official just before her 100-meter race. While the gesture was well-intentioned, it stirred emotions tied to her grief over her mother’s passing.

“An official at the check-in gave me a gift, and I was like, ‘I am about to lock in and run this 100,’ and you are giving me a gift. I almost cried before I went out to the 100. It messed it all up,” Long revealed.

She continued, “It was a nice gesture. I really appreciated it. The fact she was thinking about me in that moment, thank you so much. But it stirred my attention, like ‘thinking about my mum,’ and I was automatically in a place I did not need to be in.”

The emotional turbulence didn’t end there. Long recounted how seeing her father and stepmother in the crowd, a rare occurrence for her, further affected her focus.

“I froze in the blocks. I honestly was in my head. Even when they did the cameras and positioned it, I saw my dad and stepmom, and I normally do not see them. It got to me right before I got on the line,” she admitted.

Despite the setback, Long sees the experience as a valuable lesson. “I am glad I went through that because I experienced it,” she concluded.

While the trials didn’t go as planned for Long in the 100 meters, her resilience and determination remain evident. With her spot on the 200-meter team secured, she has shown that even in the face of adversity, she can channel her emotions into future successes.

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