One bad race left track and field runner Keni Harrison contemplating the next four years for her next move.
In 2016, Harrison broke the 28-year-old world record in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 12.20 seconds and was undefeated except for July 8, when she was second in her semifinal and sixth in the final.
Unfortunately, Harrison did not qualify for the Olympic Games in Rio 2016. Now, she’s eager to right that wrong at this year’s Olympics.
“That’s a memory that’s not really going to go away until I go out there and run the way that I want,” she said in an interview.
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“So, just having that feeling of not making it, that’s what makes me work hard at training because I’m like, ‘This opportunity is coming again and I’m going to be ready this time.’’
During the lockdown, Harrison said she was blessed to still train. With no 100 hurdles races at all in 2020, she was able to work on her sprinting, a luxury she doesn't have during a typical season.
Training with sprinters Jenna Prandini, a 2016 Olympian, and Teahna Daniels under coach Edrick Floreal, “I was able to learn how to run like a sprinter and just really try to perfect my sprinting technique because that’s only going to help me in between the hurdles,” Harrison said in an interview.
“I don’t like losing at practice, so I just try to give it all I've got and try to hang onto them and I think that has only made me faster.”
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However, her newfound speed may have tripped her up at her next meet, when she fell really hard for the first time.
Harrison clipped the first hurdle and then stumbled into the second one, crashing to the track.
“It just happened so quick,” she said in an interview, “but going back and looking at the film, it was like I got a great start and I forgot to flex my trail foot. And just like that, ‘OK, now I’m down on the ground.’”
Fortunately, she just scraped her arm a bit but it shook her confidence a bit. In practice, she put renewed focus on her trail leg drills and reminded herself, “You need to pay more attention and work on your technique and you can’t forget about it.”
She has been undefeated since, with wins at the Texas Invitational and USATF Golden Games, clocking 12.48 seconds in both events to rank No. 2 on the world list behind Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico (12.32).
Harrison has the top time for American competitors, followed by Tonea Marshall at 12.52.
Now, she will go on to compete for gold in the Olympics for Team USA's track and field team.
