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Michael Norman (sprinter)

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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.

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

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.

Biography

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Norman was born to an African-American father and a Japanese mother in San Diego, California.[17][18]

High school

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As a high school junior at Vista Murrieta in Murrieta, CA, Norman broke the NFHS record in the 400 meters with a time of 45.19 seconds at the 2015 CIF California State Meet held at Buchanan High School on June 6, 2015.[19][20] His time is the fastest 400 meters run by a U.S. high school athlete against other high school-aged athletes, along with Aldrich Bailey who also ran 45.19 seconds in Lubbock, Texas on April 28, 2012.[21]

On June 6, 2015, Norman had arguably one of the most impressive one-day performances by a high school athlete. The Vista Murrieta High School junior started his day at the 2015 CIF California State Meet by completely separating from the field on the first leg of the 4×100 meter relay, a performance that PrepCalTrack editor Rich Gonzalez described as "jaw-dropping."[20] In his second event of the day, Norman ran 45.19 seconds in the 400 meters, a time that ranked #6 all-time for U.S. high school athletes and tied the NFHS record.[22] Norman came back to win his second individual state title in the 200 meters with a time of 20.30 seconds, a time that also ranked #6 all-time for U.S. high school athletes.[23] Just one hour later, Norman was back on the track with his team for the 4×400 meter relay and produced yet another memorable performance by splitting roughly 44.9 seconds on the anchor leg to bring Vista Murrieta from 7th place to 3rd place in the event.[24] With a total contribution of 21.5 points out of the 37 points scored, Norman led his school to its first-ever state title in any sport.[25] Also worth noting is that, including the preliminary rounds from the previous day, Norman ran 7 races within 28 hours at the CIF California State Meet and still produced some of the top marks in the history of high school athletics.

On June 13, 2015, Norman competed in the Adidas Dream 100 meters at the Adidas Grand Prix at Icahn Stadium. With this being his first competitive race in the 100 meters, Norman shocked some of the most talented U.S. high school 100 meter runners by winning the race in 10.36 seconds (-0.5 m/s).[26] On June 27, 2015, Norman set a California state record in the 200 meters at the 2015 USA Junior Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field by running 20.24 seconds, and in doing so equaled the #5 all-time mark for U.S. high school athletes in the event.[27] This race also ranked Norman #8 all-time on the U.S. junior (under-20) list and #10 all-time on the world junior list. Norman's placement in this race qualified him to compete at the 2015 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships, but he decided to forgo his spot on the United States team to avoid extending his competitive season by another month. Norman's times from the 2015 season in both the 200 meters and 400 meters made him eligible to compete at the 2016 United States Olympic Trials.[28]

On June 30, 2015, Norman was named the Gatorade Player of the Year for his achievements in track and field. He is only the 28th non-senior to win the Gatorade Player of the Year award in the 30-year history of the program across all sports and the first male sprinter to win the honor as a non-senior.[29]

College

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On March 10, 2018, Norman competed at the NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships and ran an American and collegiate record in the 400 meters with a world best time of 44.52 seconds.[30] Later that day he, along with the rest of the USC Trojans 4×400 meter relay team, broke the American and collegiate record in a world best time of 3:00.77.[31] Both of the 400 meters and 4×400 meter relay performances were faster than the official world records, but they were not ratified due to various technical reasons, including teammate Rai Benjamin having not been cleared by the IAAF to represent the United States yet.[32][33] On June 8, 2018, Norman ran a 2018 world leading time in the 400 meters with a time of 43.61 seconds at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships. This time ranked him as the sixth fastest 400 meter runner in history.

To cap off his collegiate career, Norman was named winner of The Bowerman for the 2018 track and field season.[34] He was the first USC Trojan to win the award. His teammate and best friend, Rai Benjamin was also one of the three finalists.

Professional career

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Michael Norman made his pro debut on June 30, 2018 at the 2018 IAAF Diamond League in Paris, winning the (non-scoring) 200 m in a personal best time of 19.84 s, ahead of his USC teammate Rai Benjamin who finished second in 19.99 s.[35][36]

On July 20, 2020 while competing in the 100m sprint at the AP Ranch High Performance Invite #2 Track Meet he ran a 9.86s his first sub-10 100m sprint. With this performance, Michael Norman became the second athlete, after 400m World Record holder Wayde van Niekerk, to join the "Sub 10s, 20s, 44s club for the 100m, 200m & 400m sprints".[37] Fred Kerley joined the club in 2021.

Norman's 2022 outdoor season was undoubtedly his best to date. In addition to winning his second U.S. Track and Field Championship 400m title, he won the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial and Prefontaine Classic at 400m - his seventh and eighth Diamond League wins. At the 2022 World Athletics Championships, he won gold in the 400m in a time of 44.29 and followed up his victory with a relay medal in 4x400m relay.[38]

In 2023, Norman left his longtime coach Quincy Watts and undertook an unsuccessful pivot to the 100 m under coach John Smith. He was eliminated in the first round of the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the event and ended his season shortly after.[39] Norman returned to Watts and the 400m in November 2023 in anticipation of the 2024 Olympic Games.

Statistics

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Information from World Athletics profile unless otherwise noted.[38]

Personal bests

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Surface Event Time Competition Venue Date Notes
Outdoor 100 m 9.86 (+1.6 m/s) AP Ranch High Performance Invite #2 Fort Worth, Texas (Athletic Performance Ranch) July 20, 2020 WL
200 m 19.70 (+0.7 m/s) Golden Gala Rome, Italy (Stadio Olimpico) June 6, 2019 WL, MR
400 m 43.45 Mt. SAC Relays Torrance, California (Murdock Stadium) April 20, 2019 WL, MR, FR, #4 all-time
400 m (relay split) 43.06 NCAA Division I West Preliminary Sacramento, California (Hornet Stadium) May 26, 2018 #3 all-time
4×100 m relay 38.88 USC Power 5 Challenge Los Angeles, California (Loker Stadium) March 24, 2018
4×200 m relay 1:24.53 Arcadia Invitational Arcadia, California (Arcadia High School) April 10, 2015

MR

4×400 m relay 2:55.70 2020 Summer Olympic Tokyo, Japan (Japan National Stadium) Aug 3, 2021 WL
Indoor 200 m 20.75 Tyson Invitational Fayetteville, Arkansas (Randal Tyson Track Center) February 11, 2017
400 m 44.52 NCAA Division I Indoor Championships College Station, Texas (Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium) March 10, 2018 WB
4×400 m relay 3:00.77 NCAA Division I Indoor Championships College Station, Texas (Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium) March 10, 2018 WB

Seasonal bests

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The highlighted times are track records, correct August 2024.


National competition record

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Representing the Vista Murrieta High Broncos (2015–2016), USC Trojans (2017–2018), and Nike (2019–2021)
Year Competition Venue Position Event Times Notes
2015 U.S. Junior Championships Eugene, Oregon (Hayward Field) 2nd 200 m 20.24 PB[40]
2016 U.S. Junior Championships Clovis, California (Veterans Memorial Stadium) 1st 20.15 MR, PB[41]
U.S. Olympic Trials Eugene, Oregon (Hayward Field) 20th 400 m 46.21 [42]
5th 200 m 20.14 PB[42]
2017 NCAA Division I Championships Eugene, Oregon (Hayward Field) 4th 400 m 44.88 PB
13th 4×400 m relay 3:05.80
U.S. Championships Sacramento, California (Hornet Stadium) 7th 400 m 44.80 [43]
2018 NCAA Division I Indoor Championships College Station, Texas (Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium) 1st 400 m 44.52 WB
4×400 m relay 3:00.77 WB
NCAA Division I Championships Eugene, Oregon (Hayward Field) 400 m 43.61 WL, CR, FR, PB[44]
4×400 m relay 2:59.00 WL, CR, FR
U.S. Championships Des Moines, Iowa (Drake Stadium) DNS 200 m — [note 1]
2019 U.S. Championships Des Moines, Iowa (Drake Stadium) 2nd 400 m 43.79 [46]
2021 U.S. Olympic Trials Eugene, Oregon (Hayward Field) 1st 400 m 44.07
2022 U.S. Championships Eugene, Oregon (Hayward Field) 1st 400 m 43.56 WL, FR
2023 U.S. Championships Eugene, Oregon (Hayward Field) 27th 100 m 10.31
  • NCAA results from Track & Field Results Reporting System.[47]

International competition record

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Representing the   United States
Year Competition Venue Position Event Times Notes
2016 World U20 Championships Bydgoszcz, Poland (Zdzisław Krzyszkowiak Stadium) 1st 200 m 20.17 MR
4×100 m relay 38.93 WU20L
2019 World Championships Doha, Qatar (Khalifa International Stadium) 22nd 400 m 45.94
2021 Olympic Games Tokyo, Japan 5th 400 m 44.31
1st 4x400 m relay 2:55.70 SB
2022 World Championships Eugene, Oregon (Hayward Field) 1st 400 m 44.29
1st 4x400 m relay 2:56.17 SB
2024 Olympic Games Paris, France (Stade de France) 8th 400 m 45.62

Circuit Wins

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Outdoor
Indoor


Track records

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As of September 2024, Norman holds the following track records for 100 metres, 200 metres and 400 metres.


100 metres

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Location Time Windspeed
m/s 		Date
Fort Worth, Texas 9.86
PB		 + 1.6 20/07/2020
Padua, Italy 9.97 – 0.5 05/09/2021


200 metres

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Location Time Windspeed
m/s 		Date
Palo Alto 19.84 + 2.8 13/05/2018
Rome 19.70
PB		 + 0.7 06/06/2019


400 metres

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Location Time Date
Eagle Rock 44.21 04/05/2024
Eugene, Oregon 43.56 25/06/2022
Torrance, California 43.45
PB		 20/04/2019

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Qualified for the final but did not start (DNS).[45]

References

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  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.
  17. ^ "Japanese-American sprinter aims for golden glory in 2020". the-japan-news.com. June 22, 2019. Archived from the original on October 2, 2019. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  18. ^ "The extraordinary Olympic journey of Michael Norman". 23 July 2021.
  19. ^ Jones, Brandon (June 15, 2015). "California runner sprints up the charts at CIF state meet". NFHS.org.
  20. ^ a b Gonzalez, Rich (June 6, 2015). "Norman joins Thomas atop dash lore @ CIF-State Finals! – 1 Nat'l Fed. Record + 5 U.S. Leaders + 345 EPI Elites!". PrepCalTrack. Retrieved 2016-07-09.
  21. ^ "Track And Field - Boys". NFHS.org. Retrieved 2016-07-09.
  22. ^ "2015 CIF State Finals - Michael Norman - 400 Meter Dash - 45.19". YouTube. 12 June 2015.
  23. ^ "2015 CIF State Finals - Michael Norman - 200 Meter Dash - 20.30". YouTube. 12 June 2015.
  24. ^ "2015 CIF State Finals - Vista Murrieta Boys - 4x400 Meter Relay - 3:14.81". YouTube. 12 June 2015.
  25. ^ Galluzzo, Steve (June 6, 2015). "Michael Norman blazes to a pair of wins at state track meet". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2016-07-09.
  26. ^ "2015 adidas Grand Prix - Michael Norman - Dream 100m - 10.36 (-0.5 m/s)". YouTube. 14 June 2015.
  27. ^ "Junior Men's 200m Final - USATF Junior Outdoor Track and Field Championships 2015". USATF.tv.
  28. ^ Lee, Kirby (June 27, 2015). "TRACK: Norman sets record in defeat". The Press-Enterprise. Riverside, CA. Retrieved 2016-07-09.
  29. ^ "Gatorade National AOY Finalist Spotlight: Michael Norman, Boys track and field". USA Today High School Sports. July 13, 2015. Retrieved 2016-07-09.
  30. ^ "Norman breaks world indoor 400m record at NCAA Indoor Championships | REPORT | World Athletics".
  31. ^ "The Mondo Effect: Several U.S. Records Just Got a Lot Tougher - FloTrack". 28 December 2018.
  32. ^ Goe, Ken (20 March 2018). "Yes, USC should own the world indoor record in the men's 4x400: Oregon track & field rundown". oregonlive.com. The Oregonian. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  33. ^ "World Records". worldathletics.org. World Athletics. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  34. ^ "Michael Norman Wins The Bowerman In 2018 ::: The Bowerman: The Nation's Top Award for Collegiate Track & Field Athletes". The Bowerman. Retrieved 2018-12-31.
  35. ^ Rowbottom, Mike (July 1, 2018). "Norman and Benjamin the latest starts to shine in the IAAF Diamond League". iaaf.org. IAAF. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  36. ^ Zaccardi, Nick (June 30, 2018). "Abderrahman Samba runs second-fastest 400m hurdles ever (video)". nbcsports.com. NBC. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  37. ^ "Michael Norman joins elite company with world-leading 100m in 9.86". 21 July 2020.
  38. ^ a b "ATHLETE PROFILE Michael NORMAN". worldathletics.org. World Athletics. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  39. ^ "Michael Norman returns to 400m, old coach". 6 May 2024.
  40. ^ "2015 USATF Junior Outdoor Championships - Results - FULL". usatf.org. USATF. June 28, 2015. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
  41. ^ "2016 USATF Junior Outdoor Championships - Results". usatf.org. USATF. June 26, 2016. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
  42. ^ a b "2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field - Results". usatf.org. USATF. July 10, 2016. Archived from the original on July 15, 2016. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
  43. ^ "2017 USATF Championships - 6/22/2017 to 6/25/2017 - Hornet Stadium, Sacramento, Calif. - Results". usatf.org. USATF. June 25, 2017. Archived from the original on October 12, 2017. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
  44. ^ Chavez, Chris (June 8, 2018). "Michael Norman breaks 400 meter collegiate record in 43.61". si.com. Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
  45. ^ "2018 USATF Championships - 6/21/2018 to 6/24/2018 - Drake Stadium - Results". usatf.org. USATF. June 24, 2018. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
  46. ^ "Compiled Results - Toyota Men's 400m Final". USA Track & Field. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  47. ^ "Michael Norman at USC". Track & Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS). Retrieved April 19, 2019.
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Videos

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Achievements
Preceded by Men's 400 meters season's best
2018, 2019 		Succeeded by
Awards
Preceded by Men's The Bowerman
2018 		Succeeded by
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