Norfolk State sprinter: Chance to go to Olympic trials ‘just taken away from me’

Norfolk State University sprinter Kai Cole believed that running the 100-meter dash in 10.05 seconds at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships in May would be a life-changer for him. Cole’s time was a personal best and put him in the rare company of other collegiate athletes whose times qualified them for the U.S. Olympic trials, which began Friday in Eugene, Oregon.

However, after weeks of additional training, booking flights, and making travel arrangements with his family for the cross-country trip, Cole found out he wouldn’t fulfill his lifelong dream and compete for a spot at the 2024 Paris Olympics. According to an email sent to Cole by USA Track & Field statistician Glen McMicken, Cole’s time at the MEAC championships didn’t count because it was not a USATF-sanctioned event.

“I will say I’m numb to it now, like, in the moment,” Cole told Andscape. “Just kind of, like, trying to keep my composure. It just sucks that something I worked, like, my whole life for is just [taken] away from me for something that’s out of my control. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, it’s just taken away from me.”

When Cole, the two-time MEAC 100-meter dash champion, went to register for the Olympic trials, USA Track & Field rejected his time. According to the sanction application on the organization’s website, “An event may obtain a USATF sanction by filing a completed USATF sanction application with the appropriate USATF Association, paying the requisite local and national sanctioning fees and complying with the requirements of obtaining a sanction.”

The USATF events calendar outlines which track and field events are sanctioned by the organization. The MEAC’s Outdoor Track & Field Championships aren’t listed on the calendar, and neither are the Southwestern Athletic Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

The USATF Virginia Association, which has direct knowledge of the USATF sanction applications submitted in the state of Virginia, confirmed to Andscape that the MEAC didn’t complete the application to have its conference outdoor championship in consideration to be USATF-sanctioned meet.

In a statement released Friday, the MEAC said: “The MEAC was recently informed that our multiple appeals submitted last week to have Kai Cole approved to compete at this year’s USATF Olympic Trials were denied by USATF, despite his posting an automatic qualifying time at the MEAC Outdoor Track & Field Championship. Although the MEAC Outdoor Track and Field Championship remains an official NCAA Division I championship event, USATF policy changes implemented this year resulted in the event not being officially sanctioned by USATF, making all competition results ineligible for Olympic Trial qualification. 

“We understand Kai’s frustration and took all available steps to rectify the situation so he could compete in the Olympic Trials — an opportunity he clearly deserves. The MEAC fully supports our member institutions and student-athletes as they pursue their dreams and strive for excellence. We are disappointed by the decision from USATF and are working to ensure our track and field championships are sanctioned USATF events moving forward. No further comments will be made regarding this matter.”

After several efforts to appeal, Cole exhausted his options.

“I was under the impression that I didn’t have to worry about that,” Cole said. “So when I found out it wasn’t sanctioned, it’s just like how could you forget something so important like this for an Olympic year, out of all years. [I’m] just seeking clarity on why it happened.”

Cole and his family have canceled their travel plans. Cole said he is taking some time to figure out his options for pursuing a pro track and field career. Before the USATF decision, he was in talks with agents and sponsors about deals depending on his trial performance. Now he is waiting to see what opportunities are still available to him.

“[This season] was definitely at its height kind of cool. Then it was completely shut down,” Cole said. “Before, I felt like I exceeded my own expectations running college track and field. Everyone knows I ran 10.05. It feels like it was erased because it’s not recognized by anything. It’s like I never did it.”