Team USA Women's track and field team has named LaTanya Sheffield as their coach for the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics.
Sheffield had numerous coaching stints with the USA national team in the past both as an assistant coach as well as the head coach. She was serving as the coach for Long State Beach University before she was hired for the national team.
The 60-year-old will also be working with the hurdlers and sprinters of the national team of the USA. With vast experience in coaching as well as a player, Sheffield will have a big task at her hands in the summer of 2024. She had already served as the head coach of the national team during the 2022 World Championships.
Sheffield was also the assistant coach of the team at the 2016 event in Rio and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Expressing her excitement and happiness for the summer, Sheffield told NBC:
"I'm living the dream. You want Team USA to do so very well and I've been in their shoes."
Besides her coaching stints, Sheffield herself is an Olympic participant. She participated in the 400m hurdles for USA during the 1998 Seoul Olympics. She also won a bronze during the Pan American Games.
During the interview with NBC, Sheffield also stated that this will be her last Olympics as a coach and she wants to experience the 2028 Olympics from the stands.
A look at LaTanya Sheffield's journey ahead of her last coaching stint at the Paris Olympics
LaTanya Sheffield's journey as a coach has been a testament to her skills and leadership capabilities. The 60-year-old has vast experience in both the domestic as well as in international circuits.
Under her able leadership, the USA women's track and field team displayed a superb performance during the 2019 Pan American Games. The team amassed a combined tally of 18 medals throughout the tournament.
Sheffield has also made a name for herself in the collegiate circle. With the help of her guidance, the track and field team of the LSBU has been able to clinch seven Big West Championships in the last ten years. This blend of both national and international experience makes her a crucial addition to the team.
The preparations for the USA national team are in full flow. The team has also set up a camp in Eaubonne which aims to provide the athletes with top facilities. LaTanya Sheffield will have a big challenge on her hands on the global stage in the summer.
