In 2023, Michael Norman, the defending World 400m champion in 2022, made a switch to focus on the 100m. However, he faced challenges and setbacks during the season, including tendonitis. He also made a coaching change in May, shifting from John Smith to Quincy Watts, who had coached him during his college years at USC. Despite these changes, Norman was eliminated in the first round of the 100m at the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships in July.
After announcing that he would take the remainder of the season off to focus on the 2024 Olympic year, Norman opted not to defend his title in the 400m at the World Championships. With his focus on the Olympics, Norman ran a time of 44.21 seconds in a recent race in Eugene, Oregon. This time is just one hundredth faster than his winning time at the 2022 World Championships and currently ranks him second in the world for this year’s Olympics.
In order to secure a spot on the Paris Olympic team for the individual 400m event, Norman will need to finish in the top three at U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials scheduled from June 21-30 in Eugene, Oregon. After achieving his goal of winning a gold medal in
