''Dalilah Muhammad, you revolutionized this event" - Anna Cockrell is all praises for the former Olympic champion after qualifying for Paris Olympics

Anna Cockrell has made it to her second consecutive Summer Olympics since Tokyo 2020. Cockrell finished second behind Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and slightly ahead of Jasmine Jones to make the cut for Paris Olympics 2024.

However, even in the chaos, the 26-year-old sprinter from San Ramon, California, didn't forget to thank her inspiration, Dalilah Muhammad, for her journey so far. The defending Olympic champion for the past two editions [Rio and Tokyo], Muhammad finished sixth overall at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in the same event as McLaughlin-Levrone broke the record.

Anna Cockrell said just after the trials:

"Dalilah Muhammad, you've revolutionized this event...The impact you've had on this sport goes beyond medals, goes beyond records....You're great, you're poised, you're competition, you're a mentor to me, I can't say thank you to her enough. I want to give her the flowers now...Sorry for hijacking the interview!"

Anna Cockrell aiming for a better shot at the podium in Paris Olympics 2024

Anna Cockrell relaxing with Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone after the U.S. Olympics Track and Field trials

Even as Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone cruised her way to another world record-breaking victory, Anna Cockrell gave her a tough fight as she finished second, only 1.99 seconds behind her at 52.64 seconds.

Cockrell is a far cry from the athlete who was disqualified from the finals of the Tokyo Olympics. The 26-year-old sprinter had finished second in the semifinals to qualify for the finals of the women's 400 m hurdles, alongside Dalilah Muhammad and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.

But while McLaughlin-Levrone broke the world record to win the Olympic gold, followed by Muhammad with the silver, Cockrell only managed to finish seventh overall. However, due to a lane violation, she was disqualified altogether.

Since then, Cockrell has come a long way. She began 2024 on an impressive note, as she won the USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix with a timing of 53.75 seconds overall. She then qualified for the semifinals of the U.S. Olympic trials with ease, topping the heats with a time of 54.71 seconds, and further improving her time in the semifinals by clocking 52.95 seconds.

Although she couldn't overcome McLaughlin-Levrone, Cockrell improved her timing further to a personal best of 52.64 in the finals of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials. She can now stake a claim to a possible podium finish at the women's 400 m hurdles at the 2024 Paris Olympics.