Michael Norman (sprinter)

Michael Norman
2018 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships (26869506658)
Norman at the 2018 NCAA Division I Indoor Championships
Personal information
Full nameMichael Arthur Norman Jr.
Born (1997-12-03) December 3, 1997 (age 26)[1]
San Diego, California, United States[1]
EmployerNike[2]
Height6 ft 1 in (185 cm)[1]
Weight171 lb (78 kg)[1]
Sport
CountryUnited States
SportTrack and field
EventSprints
College teamUSC Trojans (2017–2018)[3]
Coached byQuincy Watts[2] and Caryl Smith Gilbert[4]
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)100 m: 9.86 (2020)[5]

200 m: 19.70 (2019)[6]
400 m: 43.45 (2019)[7][8]

400 m (relay split): 43.06 (2018)[9]
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo 4×400 m relay
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2022 Eugene 400 m
Gold medal – first place 2022 Eugene 4×400 m relay
Diamond League
Winner 2019 400 m
World Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place 2016 Bydgoszcz 200 m
Gold medal – first place 2016 Bydgoszcz 4×100 m relay

Michael Arthur Norman Jr. (born December 3, 1997) is an American sprinter. He previously held the world best time in the indoor 400 meters at 44.52 seconds.[10] Outdoors, his 43.45, set at the 2019 Mt. SAC Relays, is tied on sixth on the all time list. In 2016, he became the world junior champion in both the 200 meters and 4×100 meter relay.[11] In 2022, he became the world champion in both the 400 meters and 4x400 meter relay.

Norman first gained international attention as a high school senior after he defeated reigning USA champion Justin Gatlin in a semi-final heat of the 200 meters at the 2016 Olympic Trials.[12] He eventually placed fifth in the final and did not qualify for the Olympic team. However, he secured two gold medals at the World Junior Championships later that summer, highlighted by a championship record of 20.17 in the 200 meters.[11]

A four-time NCAA champion, Norman set or helped set collegiate records in every NCAA final he ran in 2018. This includes his world best time in the indoor 400 meters and an unofficial world record in the indoor 4×400 meter relay when he anchored the USC Trojans to a winning time of 3:00.77.[13]

Throughout his career, Norman has won numerous awards including the Gatorade Player of the Year awards for track and field in both 2015 and 2016, and The Bowerman in 2018.[14][15][16] Norman graduated from the University of Southern California in May 2019 and currently competes professionally for Nike under his college coaches Quincy Watts and Caryl Smith Gilbert.[2] Michael Norman is one of only 3 men along with Wayde Van Niekerk and Fred Kerley to go sub 10 seconds in 100m, sub 20 seconds in 200m and sub 44 seconds in 400m.

  1. ^ a b c d "Michael Norman". teamusa.org. USOC. Archived from the original on June 23, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c Sully, Kevin (August 3, 2018). "Michael Norman Signs Professional Deal With Nike". flotrack.org. FloSports, Inc. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  3. ^ "2018 Track & Field Roster". usctrojans.com. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  4. ^ "Female Coaches in Profile". iaaf.org. SPIKES. March 2018. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  5. ^ "AP Ranch High Performance Invite #2". NTX Timing. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  6. ^ "Michael Norman edges Noah Lyles in Rome 200m". nbcsports.com. NBC Sports. 6 June 2019. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  7. ^ "61st ANNUAL MT. SAC RELAYS". Mt. SAC Relays. Archived from the original on 20 July 2020. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  8. ^ Testerman, Jordan (20 April 2019). "2019 Mt. SAC Relays - Michael Norman - 400 Meter Dash - 43.45". YouTube. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  9. ^ @FloTrack (2018-05-28). "43.06! Michael Norman records the second fastest 4x4 split in world history!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  10. ^ Jordan, Roy (March 10, 2018). "NORMAN BREAKS WORLD INDOOR 400M RECORD AT NCAA INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS". iaaf.org. IAAF. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  11. ^ a b Mills, Steven (July 30, 2016). "RISING SPRINT STAR NORMAN CHOOSES 'STEP-BY-STEP' APPROACH TO THE NEXT LEVEL". iaaf.org. IAAF. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  12. ^ Elliott, Helene (July 8, 2016). "Michael Norman is one to know after 200-meter semifinal heat win". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  13. ^ Gretschel, Johanna (March 20, 2018). "It's Bullshit That USC Doesn't Have The 4x4 World Record". flotrack.org. FloSports, Inc. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  14. ^ "2014-2015 GATORADE NATIONAL BOYS TRACK & FIELD PLAYER OF THE YEAR". gatorade.com. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  15. ^ "2015-2016 GATORADE NATIONAL BOYS TRACK & FIELD PLAYER OF THE YEAR". gatorade.com. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  16. ^ Mayforth, Tyler. "Michael Norman Wins The Bowerman In 2018". ustfccca.org. Retrieved 2 July 2019.