Cockrell and Muhammad battle in 400m hurdles
Watch the LA Grand Prix's women's 400m hurdles final with Anna Cockrell and Dalilah Muhammad battling it out until the very end.
Video Transcript
Prevejin Women's 400 Meter Hurdles.
And I'm looking at that 50.37.
Remember all of us being slack-jawed in Paris- when Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone did her thing, as we look now at Dalilah Muhammad.
She's one of only four women to win two Olympic medals in this event.
She has a gold in Rio and a silver in Tokyo.
She originally thought 2025 would be her final season, announced retirement, and then says, "Life changes, things happen," and she still wanted to compete.
We're happy to have her back on the track.
And here's Anna Cockrell in lane five, the fourth-fastest woman in history.
51.87 for silver at those Paris Olympics behind Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone's spectacular world record two summers ago in France.
And if we look at the rest of the lane assignments, a very good field assembled for this 400 meter hurdles, and this is, talk about the history of USC, but this whole region has really delivered incredible Olympic medal caliber talent.
Yeah, there's lots of women- On your marks from USC and crosstown rival UCLA that have been on the podium in this event in the Olympics and the World Championships, not the least of whom are the two on your screen, the Olympic silver medalist Cockrell on your right, and the gold and silver medalist Dalilah Muhammad on the left.
She'll be in six.
I think the meet record could be in jeopardy, 53.75, held by Anna Cockrell.
Set.
Away we go in the final event.
Final race of the day in Los Angeles, the women's 400 meter hurdles.
Pretty even over the first hurdle, but Anna Cockrell now with a slight advantage as they head down the back stretch.
If you watched NCAAs and saw all those Arkansas athletes attacking the first half of a 400, well, these two are coached by the same men, and that's why they attack so ferociously.
And Anna Cockrell, Sonya, is in the lead.
Yeah, this is usually the strength of Dalilah's race, but Anna looks really strong.
If she's able to put that first half with her finish, she could be on, like you said, to meet record pace here, Paul.
Over hurdle number eight, final two hurdles now, and it's all about keeping that form- Here comes Dalilah with Cockrell and Muhammad- Oh as they will battle stride for stride.
Cockrell remains in the lead, and she will take the victory, 53.44, as we end a great day of track and field with another meet record.
Yep, Anna Cockrell getting it done, so she improves on her own meet record from three years ago, Sonya, and had a nice little battle with her former, with her training partner, Dalilah Muhammad, up the home straightaway.
Very impressive run from start to finish for Anna Cockrell.
There was a moment there with about 60 meters to go, it looked like she might have given some back, but she was able to find something there.
She's on the back stretch, really taking it to the field, passing Dalilah Muhammad, going over hurdle number four.
And then here where it looked like Dalilah might come back, Otto, she was able to find something in the final 50 meters of the race.
She looks really, really strong.
A good showing for both the teammates, Anna Cockrell and Dalilah Muhammad.
And of course, Dalilah said she was gonna retire last year, then this year she says, "Eh, maybe not yet."
She has said, though, that this is going to be her last year, and a lot of people are gonna say, "Why?"
Exactly.
She still looks very good.
Today's memorable moment of the meet, brought to you by Prevejin, as Anna Cockrell takes the win in 53.43.
What a way to cap the day, Lewis.
What a perfect way to cap the day.
Two training partners who've been at it a long time.
Anna, first to you.
You reset your meet record here.
How about that on, especially with all the wind coming up the home straightaway?
Yeah, it was definitely windy, but it's good to be home.
I'm a Trojan, I take a lot of pride in that, so feels good.
What about you two competing together still?
Still, still.
Remember, I told you I was like, "One more year."
Right.
We got her, so it's good.
Dalilah, you said this was it.
But, so what happened?
What changed?
What brought you back?
I mean, I think you just always feel like you have a little bit more.
I think the season didn't end the way I wanted it to, and I just thought I had more.
But this will definitely be it.
It's really fun to just be doing all the events I wanted to do in the past.
You heard that too, right?
Yeah.
You, Come on, all the way to 2028.
Why not?
You know, I think, you know, I think it's time.
That's a maybe.
That's a maybe.
That was a maybe.
That was a maybe, for sure.
Yeah.
Ladies, congratulations.
Thanks so much.
Thanks so much.
Thank you so much.
It's always good to see you.
