Cockrell captures first 400mH national title
Anna Cockrell finally captured an elusive national title in the women's 400m hurdles, running the race in 52.94 seconds to win at the USATF Outdoor National Championships.
Video Transcript
It's great to be back, and we're bringing you the Toyota Women's 400 Hurdles final now.
Starting in lane six, Anna Cockrell.
When your career coincides with Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone's and Dalilah Muhammad's, it's easy to get overlooked, but this is the fourth fastest woman ever, and the Olympic silver medalist.
She has never won a national title.
Is today the day that Anna Cockrell is crowned US champ?
And what a treat it is to see New York's own Dalilah Muhammad, the five-time national champ, run, Sonia.
One of the greatest women to ever run this event.
She's a three-time Olympic medalist.
She has a gold and a silver in the 400 meter hurdles from Tokyo and Rio.
Just phenomenal.
She was gonna retire this year, decided to come back, and it's been truly a treat.
In lane seven, Shamier Little, the eighth fastest woman ever in this event.
What a career she had at Texas A&M where she was a three-time NCAA champion, and then sh- as a professional, she has silver from 2015, and then eight years later, she gets silver at the 2023 Worlds in Budapest.
52.39 is her best.
And Shamier won this national title- Oh, she won three years ago.
There's the full field for you.
So Dalilah Muhammad, in lane five, she's from just down the road in Queens.
She said, to Sonia's point, it was just too much to Like, she may have walked away, she may have retired, but when she found out that the national titles were gonna be here, she said, "How could I not compete at home?"
And maybe she ran this year because last year when Cockrell was supposed to win, Dalilah Muhammad upset her, and it probably s- probably said to her, "Hey, why am I retiring just yet?
I'm the national champ" Set.
Toyota Women's 400 Meter Hurdles away.
We know the women in five and six are gonna go out aggressively, that's their pattern.
But so far, not really a dent in the staggered.
Dalilah Muhammad falling off of Anna Cockrell's pace mightily through the first 150.
Yeah, Anna M- Anna Cockrell looking really good down the back stretch, and she'll know that her training partner, teammate, and inspiration is inside of her, so she's gonna wanna get away from her.
And for right now, Anna Cockrell is dominating this field.
Yeah, halfway through, Leah, it looks like Anna Cockrell, barring something major, is going to win her first title.
She told our Lewis Johnson yesterday Whoa, a hiccup there for Dalilah Muhammad.
The dream's over for Dalilah at home, but the dream is well and truly alive for Anna Cockrell.
She told Lewis yesterday, "I've got a goal, I know how to achieve it.
I'm gonna go and get it," and she is.
Anna Cockrell wins the national championship in the women's 400 hurdles.
Finally, it's her time.
This is a woman who has made two Olympic teams, both Tokyo and Paris, and yet she has never won a n- a, a US title up until today.
The Olympic silver medalist is now the US champ.
And moving on to the new stadium record.
Easy to be happy for her.
She- She has paid her dues she gets a stadium record as well.
Anna Cockrell.
Let's go.
Yeah.
So here's the final 200 meters of this race, and it looked like Dalilah was just about to make a move, and we never see that happen to her, ever.
Nah, I was just about to say, I've been watching Dalilah since she was running in high school in Queens, and I have never seen her have that mishap.
But look at the dominance by Anna Cockrell in this national final.
Nobody close as she strides confidently to her very first national title.
So much experience.
She's been here so many times before.
She's won medals on the biggest stage, so for her to finally add this title, I know she's super excited.
Congrats to Deonna Buchman for that runner-up spot, and Shamier Little in third.
Lewis, that's the fourth straight race we've had where somebody's won their first national title today.
That's awesome.
You gotta love 2027.
If not for that reason right there 2026, I should say.
First national title after all you've done, what do you think?
Oh my God, finally.
It feels so good.
I got a lot of family here.
The New York, the Boston Cockrells are all here.
My family from Louisiana's up here.
That's them back there, some of them.
So it's really exciting.
You've been grinding so long on the local, national, world stages, but to win here in New York City for the national championship- Oh my God what does it mean?
It's like I finally arrived.
Yeah.
I know that's weird to say, 'cause I got an Olympic medal, but, just putting together consistency, great race strategies, great racing, and, I'm pleased.
All righty.
And as we say thank you, show 'em that ring one more time.
She's got the ring.
You have a woman who wants it all.
