Christina Clemons was already an Ohio State Athletics Hall of Famer, but now she's an Olympian.
The Ohio State great formerly known as Christina Manning qualified for her first-ever Olympic team on Sunday night by finishing third in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 12.53 seconds at the U.S. Olympic Trials.
.@Ken_AYE_ just ran herself into the Olympic Games.@usatf | #TrackFieldTrials21 x #TokyoOlympics
— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) June 21, 2021
NBC pic.twitter.com/P4gvEVrRSy
Clemons is one of the all-time track and field greats at Ohio State, where she set school records in the 60-meter dash (7.23), 60-meter hurdles (7.91), 100-meter hurdles (12.68) and 4x100-meter relay (43.70), and was a two-time NCAA champion, 10-time Big Ten champion and 11-time All-American. In her first season as a professional, however, Clemons ruptured her Achilles, requiring a long road back to competing at an elite level.
After multiple unsuccessful tries to make the Olympic team, though, Clemons will be a part of Team USA in Tokyo this summer, and she talked about what that meant to her in an emotional interview with NBC shortly after she made the team.
“I've been going after this team since 2012,” Clemons said. “I've been looked over, I've been counted out, but when God is with you, it doesn't matter. I'm just so happy.”
"I'm just so happy."
— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) June 21, 2021
Christina Clemons holding back tears of joy after qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Team.@usatf | #TrackFieldTrials21 x #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/FCIUe9ctOk
Yall. Im an OLYMPIAN OMG!!!!!! Ive been looked over. Ive been counted out. BUT GOD has a plan for me that no man can change. HALLELUJAH!! THANK YOU JESUS
— Clemons, Christina A (@SheTheMann_ing) June 21, 2021
Clemons – who also garnered attention on Sunday night for her Cool Ranch Doritos-themed earrings – becomes the first Buckeye to make this year's U.S. Olympic track and field team.
I made the Olympic team wearing a bag of @Doritos on my ears. Twitter, I need yall to do your thing! We need to blow Doritos mentions UP pic.twitter.com/bGyiEcqiOD
— Clemons, Christina A (@SheTheMann_ing) June 21, 2021
The 100-meter hurdles competition at the Tokyo Olympics is scheduled to begin on July 31 with the qualifying round, followed by the semifinals on Aug. 1 and the final on Aug. 2.
