(QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Charlotte native and Providence Day graduate Anna Cockrell competed Sunday in her first track and field 400-meter heat qualifying event at the Paris Olympics.
During Round 1, Heat 4, Cockrell came out on top and was the fastest in her group, with a final time of 53.91, qualifying for the semifinals on Tuesday, Aug. 6.
Earlier this summer at Hayward Field, Cockrell placed 2nd in the women’s 400-meter hurdles with a personal best time of 52.64, good for 4th best in the world this season.
The top three finishers made the Paris team, which is headlined by Syndey McLaughlin-Levrone. McLaughlin-Levrone broke her own world record with a time of 50.65. This was the fifth time she broke the world record.
Cockrell’s first Olympic games was in Tokyo in 2020 where she finished 8th in the 400-meter hurdles.
While at Providence Day School, Cockrell won 16 NCISAA state titles and has since been named to the North Carolina High School Track & Field Hall of Fame.
At the University of Southern California, Cockrell won four outdoor NCAA Championships and one indoor NCAA Championship.
The third member joining McClaughlin-Levrone and Cockrell in Paris for the 400-meter hurdles is Cockrell’s former teammate at USC, Jasmine Jones.
