WATCH: Former world champion Michael Norman wins his first 400m race since August 2022 on season opener at Oxy Invitational 2024

Michael Norman, the 2022 world champion, announced his arrival in the 2024 season by winning his first 400m race since August 2022 at the Oxy Invitational 2024 on Saturday.

Norman was the fastest sprinter across all heats as he clocked a quick 44.21s in Heat 1 of the men’s 400m dash to finish ahead of Johnnie Blockburger (45.20s) and Isaiah Jewett (45.50s).

Watch the video of the American sprinter performing exceptionally on his season opener at the Oxy Invitational here:

The 26-year-old made headlines after winning the 400m race on home soil at the World Athletics Championships 2022 held at the Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. With a time of 44.29s, he got past the 2012 Olympics and 2011 World Championships gold medalist Kirani James (44.48s).

Two days later, he ran the second leg to help the United States men’s 4x400m relay team, consisting of Elija Godwin, Bryce Deadmon, and Champion Allison, clocking a winning time of 2:56.17, also a world-leading performance.

However, after a disappointing eighth-place finish in the 200m at the 2023 Doha Diamond League, he opted out of competing for the remainder of the 2023 athletics season and chose not to defend his World Championships title.

Michael Norman took to Instagram (IG) to share this news, stating:

“Unfortunately I will not be defending my title at the 2023 World champs. After an extremely frustrating season I’ve decided to step away from track for the remainder of the 2023 season in order to refocus for the 2024 Paris Olympics.”

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A look into Michael Norman’s other top achievements

Michael Norman of USA competes and wins the Men's 400m Final during the IAAF Diamond League Memorial Van Damme at King Baudouin Stadium on September 06, 2019 in Brussels, Belgium. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

Michael Norman played a key role in the men's 4x400 meters relay gold-medal victory at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Competing alongside Michael Cherry, Bryce Deadmon, and Rai Benjamin, Norman ran the second leg of the event as the United States won with a season-best time of 2:55.70.

He became the 2019 Diamond League champion in his signature event, registering a time of 44.26s, at the Memorial Van Damme in Brussels, Belgium.

In addition, Norman is a two-time world junior champion, clinching titles in the 200m, and 4x100m relay events. He achieved both of these titles in 2016 in the competitions held in Bydgoszcz, Poland.