Chris Bailey Overcomes Bad Lane Draw to Advance to 400m Final | Post-Race Interview 2026 USATF
Chris Bailey catches up with us after battling out of Lane 2 to win his heat and secure the #2 seed for the Men's 400m Final. Bailey shares his thoughts on the surprise lane swap, his recovery from a hip injury, and why he's ready to take the top step on the podium tomorrow.
Video Transcript
No, I really wanted to ask what were your thoughts about it.
That was my first question actually.
I got up, had breakfast, went back to sleep, and I wake up to my coach texting me saying, "Hey, they changed the lane to lane two," and I'm thinking, playing.
So I go check myself, and sure enough, I'm in lane two.
I mean, yeah, I was a little disappointed about it, 'cause the fastest entry here, and I get it's supposed to be random, but I ain't never seen a top seed randomly draw lane two or nothing like that.
But, you know, it is what it is.
We got through round one.
Come back tomorrow and handle business.
That's- Where were you originally?
Heat one, lane six.
Oh, all right.
Yeah.
So, you know, I did all my pre-meet in lane six.
All right.
You know, walked the track, you know, just visualized my race, and for that to change the day of is kind of crazy.
But, you know, just roll with the punches.
Something's always changing in this sport, so, you know, just got to deal with it.
So how did it look like just moments before this, when you're rolling with the punches?
Like, how do you prepare yourself to give your best?
I mean, I'm confident in my, in my fitness and my training.
You know, I trust my coaches and, you know, the rest of my support system.
So, I mean, I, I was ready regardless.
I think that an outside observer, casual track fan- Mm-hmm like, even though sprinters prefer their certain lanes- Yeah, yeah like, what, what is it?
Like, what makes a, a certain lane good or bad?
With me, you know, this is not my, this is not my first time racing in lane two.
I raced lane two in the Olympic final, so, you know, I mean, I have experience doing it.
It's just, it put me so far away from competition, and I'm someone that really gauges, you know, how a race will go off of competition, especially in that first 200.
So, you know, it, it kind of threw me off a little bit and, made it hard for me to judge, you know, where I was.
It worked well.
But, and then when you got people that start fast like him, you know, it's, it's really hard to gauge.
So, I mean, I come out the blocks, and I'm looking up, and he's gone.
And, you know, that's just me adapting to that is me just focusing on my race and what I have to do.
I know I f- I'm, I'm a strong finisher, so, I know I'm going to always have that.
I just got to focus on putting myself in a good position to, you know, make up any ground that I need to on the field once we come off that last turn.
Did that force you to be a little more aggressive from the start?
Truthfully, I can't answer that because I'm still trying to learn how to run the first 200 of a 400, even though this is my fourth, third 400 here on this circuit.
But, I really can't tell until I go back and look at the splits.
I mean, I made up the s- stagger on the guy on the outside of me pretty fast, so, I mean, I feel like that would've put me in a good, good spot.
But again, it's, it's just hard to tell.
But yeah.
And then looking forward, I mean, you've built up a good, some good momentum throughout the year- Mm-hmm and obviously at USA, so it looks like ultimate is going to be safe.
I wonder how you kind of, what your goals are obviously for tomorrow, but then how you use this to build to the rest of the year.
I mean, the goal's the same.
Coming in today is, was to make the final.
So tomorrow is to win it.
You know, as I said before, fastest qualifier coming in.
It's the third year in a row that I made a final, so trying to make it the third year on, on that podium, and this time at the top.
Two years ago, I was third.
Last year, I was second, so I mean, I need that gold now.
Your first 200 was 21.9.
How does that feel?
Horrible.
Horrible.
And see, that's just one of the things we got to work on.
Mm-hmm.
So, yeah, I got to be more aggressive tomorrow.
That's, that's- And then speaking of, like, training and obviously still learning how to run the 400, you've been having a really good season.
You PB'd this season.
Mm-hmm.
So how does that momentum carry you into this meet, but then overall just tomorrow?
Believe it or not, I didn't even expect to have a season this year.
I started training late in January, so I mean, I'm just glad to be here.
What caused you to start training so late?
I was having a hip problem and, just pushed training back.
Tried to start back up in, October, but just couldn't get it going.
So took some more time off.
Went to go see a, a doc, and came back January and just hit it.
You're fully healed now?
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
I mean, it's my third, fourth year, year in a row of PR, and so, you know, can't complain.
Mm-hmm.
What was your 40 the last time you ran 400?
43.
That's it, 43 or bust, Chris?
43.
I know.
I don't know if it's going to happen out here on this track, though.
It's going to happen this season, but congrats- Oh, yeah, yeah.
On a great season.
Oh, yeah, I appreciate y'all.
Yep.
