He was injured at the Olympic Trials in 2016. He was injured at the Olympic Trials for the 2021 Olympics.
Now fully healthy in 2024, Phoenix Track Club’s Freddie Crittenden is an Olympian.
As Crittenden said, “Third’s time the charm.”
At the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials, Crittenden ran a personal-best time of 12.93 to finish second in the men’s 110-meter hurdles and punch his ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics. It was a historic race as well. Adidas' Grant Holloway finished first in 12.83 and Nike's Daniel Roberts was third in 12.96, marking the first time in history that three runners all ran under 13 seconds in the same race.
With his 12.93, Crittenden moves into a tie for No. 13 on the all-time list in the history of the sport.
Crittenden — who just bought a house in the Valley and is an expectant first-time father — is coached by Tim O’Neil, the former Phoenix Sunnyslope prep track and field star now making his mark as a coach. O’Neil, currently at GCU, convinced a young Devon Allen to run hurdles while in high school at Phoenix Brophy Prep, setting Allen down a path that would lead to him becoming an NCAA champion and two-time Olympian. He also coached all-state hurdlers Bobby Grant and Isaiah Oliver.
O’Neil is working his magic again, earning a shoutout from Crittenden in his post-race interview with NBC. “Tim O’Neil, you’re the best coach in the world. You’re my best friend. I’m so proud of you and I’m proud of us,” Crittenden told Lewis Johnson.
It’s a pivotal moment for Crittenden in his track and field career as he is an unsponsored athlete. Tracksmith provided him with a uniform to wear at the meet and paid for his lodging at the Olympic Trials, but that’s the extent of the support. Crittenden is on his own otherwise.
That could change soon.
Last week, after finishing a practice in preparation for the Olympic Trials, Crittenden pondered the idea of what it would mean to him if he made Team USA for Paris.
“It would be the defining moment of my whole career,” he told The Arizona Republic. “Before I even really got into it, one of my very first goals was, ‘How cool would it to be go the Olympic Games?’ And if that moment comes, it would define everything that I’ve been working for all these years.
“It would mean a lot for me and my family. I have my first child coming in about five weeks. Setting the future for myself and my family, it would mean the world to me.”
An Olympic berth. A child on the way. Freddie Crittenden is on top of the world right now.
Logan Stanley is a sports reporter with The Arizona Republic who primarily focuses on high school, ASU and Olympic sports. To suggest ideas for human-interest stories and other news, reach out to Stanley at logan.stanley@gannett.com or 707-293-7650. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @LSscribe .
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Freddie Crittenden, Phoenix Track Club hurdler, qualifies for 2024 Paris Olympics
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