Michael Norman said winning an Olympic gold medal in the 4×400 relay isn’t enough — he wants to do the same in the individual race. Photo by Chloe Montague
When Michael Norman was asked what his favorite part of the 400 meters is at a USATF press conference on Wednesday, he said it was the last race of the year. Everyone laughed, and after that, he said he would go into the reasons why.
“One, it’s a lot, but two, the last race of the year you’re in the best shape of the year and at that point the 400 doesn’t really hurt that much anymore,” said Norman, who won an Olympic gold medal in the 4×400 meter relay last year.
Although Norman won gold at the Olympics, it was the 400 meters, in which he finished fifth, he wanted to capitalize in. When asked if that experience took a little pressure off going into this week’s USATF outdoor championships, he replied, “absolutely not.”
“I’m never really satisfied with any of my performances,” added Norman.
With the best time in the field, Norman is the heavy favorite in the men’s 400. A few weeks ago at the Prefontaine Classic, he ran an impressive 43.60 seconds, the fastest time in the event since 2019.
In an interview at the Prefontaine Classic, Norman discussed reeling it back and “going back to the basics,” which for him is hard work and consistency.
In 2019, Norman won the U.S. title, but didn’t advance to the finals at the world championships in Doha due to an injury.
Also a strong competitor in the 100- and -200 meter dashes, Norman hinted at the possibility of seeing him run those shorter distances in the near future.
