Freddie Crittenden III has had great success in athletics, coming in fourth in the 110m hurdles at last year's World Athletics Championships in Budapest. His personal best time of 13.00 seconds is the 25th best in athletics history.
But Crittenden, a Valley resident who recently bought a home here and trains professionally with coach Tim O'Neill at the Phoenix Track Club, has never achieved Olympic glory — the only thing missing from his resume.
Crittenden begins his quest to meet that requirement on Monday at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Oregon, where he has a good chance of making the Paris team.
Crittenden is sixth on the 110-meter hurdles entry list but has the second-best time. Only the top three finishers at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials who finish at the Olympic standard, which Crittenden has already achieved, will be selected for the U.S. team for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
He's been training in preparation for the Olympic Trials at GCU, where O'Neill coaches. GCU gives all Phoenix Track Club athletes access to its track. Crittenden recently ran the fastest time of his career (13.16) at the Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field in late May, the same track he'll run on Monday to qualify for Paris.
Competing in the Olympics is something Crittenden has had in mind since he started the sport, and he's feeling good heading into competition week.
“My training has been great. I've had a good year,” Crittenden told The Arizona Republic. “I had some milestones in training that I wanted to achieve and I was able to achieve them. I also had some quality races, which gives me a lot of confidence heading into the Olympic Trials this year.”
“My confidence is so high, especially after how well I did at World Championships last year. It's a relief. It takes a lot of pressure off of me. I feel like I know what I'm capable of. I've done it before, so I just have to do it again and do it at a high level and I can do it. It's such a relief. I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.”
The Phoenix Track Club also includes fellow Americans Max Hairston, Jaylan McConnico and Derrick Olsen, as well as international athletes David King (Great Britain), Nick Andrews (Australia) and Brittney Howell (Jamaica).
O'Neill has a successful track record as a hurdler, having convinced Devon Allen to become a hurdler while attending Phoenix Brophy Prep High School and also coaching Bobby Grant and Isaiah Oliver.
Allen was an NCAA champion at Oregon and a two-time Olympic team selection in the 110 hurdles. Though the two are no longer together, that's how the club got started. The club is supported in part by Tracksmith, which provides equipment and helps with lodging at the Olympic Trials.
O'Neal has long been rooted in the community: He was a track star at Phoenix Sunnyslope High School before going on to Mesa Community College and eventually the University of Nevada, where he competed as a decathlete and competed for Adidas after college.
Now, years later, he is still playing the sport.
“I'm so grateful that they gave me the opportunity to work with them,” O'Neal said. “They could go anywhere. Devon Allen could go anywhere. I'm so grateful that he asked me to do this. It's an amazing opportunity. I'll never forget that I get to do this. I feel so lucky.”
The club has produced athletes for a number of major world championships in recent years, with current Phoenix Xavier Prep coach Jarrett Eaton winning a bronze medal in the 60-meter hurdles under Coach O'Neill's tutelage at the 2022 World Indoor Athletics Championships.
Crittenden is one of the club's best chances this year to make the Olympic team.
Arizona's other Olympic hopefuls:Gilbert's Vance Nilsson is one of nine high school students competing at the Olympic Trials.
“Only 24 people in the history of the planet have ever run faster than him,” O'Neal said. “He's the real deal. He's training better right now than he's ever done in his life. He's doing things in practice that he's never done in his life before. And he's already run 13 miles flat. We're poised to do something pretty special, and I think everyone else is too. I'm happy with where we are right now.”
Logan Stanley is a sports reporter for The Arizona Republic, primarily covering high school, Arizona State University and Olympic sports. To suggest a human interest story or other news idea, contact Stanley at logan.stanley@gannett.com or 707-293-7650. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter):translator.
