He is representing the United States at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and on Monday, he qualified for the semifinals in the 110-meter hurdles.
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Allen won the NCAA championship, then won at the U.S. Olympic Trials to earn a trip to Rio, where he fell just short. He returns to Eugene as an Olympian and 2020 can not get here fast enough.
He’s not positive that’s doable because he’s been so focused on track, he’ll need time to transition back into football once he returns to Oregon. “A week of football practice may not be enough”.
Allen said it was an anxious few minutes for him as well, “but as an athlete I’ve learned to compose myself and let the nerves come down so you can ramp back up because if you stay too high too long you’ll wear out and drain you’re energy”.
That this two-sport ride is even happening at all is quite the comeback tale.
UPDATE: Allen finished fifth in the finals of the men’s 110-meter hurdles with a time of 13.31.
It was a long road for Allen, who missed the 2015 track season after suffering a knee injury in the Rose Bowl.
After Allen’s heat, he had the fastest non-automatic qualifying time.
Next up? A gold medal, of course, and this 21-year-old Phoenix native believes in himself and the goals he sets. As he continues his quest for his first Olympic medal, his family will be there cheering him on. He does have the option of going Professional in Track and Field and retaining his College Football eligibility if he chooses to do so.
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Allen said he didn’t run the technical race he’d hoped for but was proud of a top-five finish. “There’s a lot of football players I’ve been around who would be great track athletes, but they choose a different path”. While Allen is one of the fastest in the country in football, he had his hands full just to make it to the semifinals.
