EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — There are moments when sprinter Mackenzie Long wants to pick up her cell phone, call her mom and tell her the good news that just happened.
Maybe it was winning three NCAA titles at Mississippi State earlier this month, or signing a pro contract with Adidas shortly after, or now that she's on the cusp of qualifying for the Paris Games, something we've both dreamed about.
It's at these times that she misses her mother the most. Tara Jones, 45, died of a heart attack in her sleep earlier this year, Long explained.
“It's hard because I'm like, 'Mom, what do you think about this?' Because she wanted to be involved. She wanted to do all the hands-on stuff,” said Long, who won the 200-meter semifinal at the U.S. Olympic Trials on Friday night to advance to the finals. “I don't want to stop including my mom in athletics. I want to include her in every way I can. That's what drives me and motivates me.”
One of their last conversations was about her possibly being selected for the red, white and blue team. It would be a monumental and emotional moment, she said. That's why missing out on the 100 meters early in the heats was so tough.
Long described receiving gifts from officials ahead of the 100th anniversary: They handed her an empowerment bracelet and said they were thinking of her.
“I was on the verge of tears,” Long said. “My coach came back and said, 'Are you OK? You're on the verge of tears.' … I felt like I could have done better. I was just blaming myself.”
But she has taken a step forward by focusing on the 200 meters, a field packed with strong athletes, including reigning 100m world champion Sha'Kary Richardson and Tokyo 2021 200m bronze medallist Gabby Thomas.
Like Long, Richardson and Thomas won qualifying matches on Friday, and Thomas said Long's story inspires her.
“Despite all the challenges she's facing in her personal life, she does an incredible job on the track,” said Thomas, who posted a world-leading time of 21.78 seconds. “That just motivates me to go out there and do well.”
Long’s mother always instilled confidence and belief in her.
“I rely a lot on myself,” Long said. “My mom always told me, 'Learn how to speak up for yourself.'”
At the U.S. National Championships earlier this month, Long won the 100 and 200 meters, as well as the 4×100 relay. Long said her mother was with her every step, watching over her. When Long went to set up the 100-meter starting blocks, they were already in place.
That has never happened to Long before.
“I was shocked,” Long told media at the NCAA Championships, “and I thought, 'Mom, that's you.' I immediately thought of her. I'm not kidding, I'll never forget that race. That was her.”
“Whenever she competed, her mother would get really nervous, so she would sometimes walk outside when she competed. The last race her mother attended was last year at the outdoor SEC meet, where she won the 200 meters,” Long said.
“Now I know she's running with me and can actually watch me run,” Long said. “I know she's proud. She doesn't have to be nervous anymore. I'm doing this for her.”
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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
