U.S. sprinter Michael Norman, who qualified for his second Olympics this week, said he’s reminding himself to be patient after an “underwhelming” Tokyo Games.
“This is the start of my redemption story,” he said. “I know I have a lot faster times in me. I know I’m in great shape. It’s just I need to execute the race the way my coach wants me to.”
The California native did not win a medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, but the next year, he won the world championship. The fluctuating race results took a toll on his mental health.
“I found myself getting flustered and frustrated at practice a lot. And I was going down like a downward spiral,” recalled Norman, who took a break from track and field for about a year for a reset. “It was best for me to take a step back from the sport and regain myself so when it’s time to train for pairs, I can be 100% focused and just leave all the emotions in the past.
Norman, a USC alum, also said he looks forward to representing Los Angeles in France next month as a “spoiled Angeleno.”
“LA is a part of my life now,” he said. “I’ve lived in LA for eight years now ever since I moved to Los Angeles to go to school at USC. The diversity that LA has when it comes to food and entertainment has made me a very spoiled Los Angeles native. I love it.”