2024 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships: Louie Hinchliffe speeds into the spotlight ahead of Paris 2024
If his life was a theater play, Louie Hinchliffe would have been an understudy a year ago.
He finished 20th in the men’s 100m at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, seventeen places behind current teammate Shaun Maswanganyi of South Africa.
His then personal best of 10.17 was still 0.34 seconds slower than 2023 World Athletics Championships bronze medalist Zharnel Hughes' career-best time in the 100m.
Hinchliffe would have run in another athlete's shadow at the collegiate and international level, and yet, his shadow is one collegiate athletes are chasing at the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Read on to find out more about the British sprinter going from understudy to lead performer in the 100m ahead of the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.
Hinchliffe steps into the 100m spotlight
Hinchliffe isn’t an overnight sensation, but he certainly knows how to make an entrance. The 21-year-old from Sheffield, England found himself center stage after running a wind-aided time of 9.84 seconds at the NCAA Division I West First Rounds on 24 May.
The race opened his eyes to what was possible. He told the Houston Chronicle, “I didn’t think the Olympics were possible.”
“Before it would be like, ‘Yeah, I get what I get. I might get close.’ Now it’s reachable,” asserted Hinchliffe.
Of course, he would need to prove himself at the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
He entered the meet as one of the favorites for victory in the men’s 100m. He ran a modest time of 10.09 seconds to win his preliminary heat on Wednesday 5 June.
Hinchliffe entered the final with the fastest time from the preliminary round, with the heavy weight of expectations following him to the starting blocks.
For much of the final, it seemed as though Hinchliffe would return to a supporting role. Then, he accelerated towards the finish line and out-ducked his opponents.
Louie Hinchliffe was an NCAA champion in the men’s 100m. His time of 9.95 seconds wasn’t only quick by collegiate standards, it was enough to place him firmly in contention for Great Britain's Olympic Team.
From the links, to the lanes: Hinchliffe’s origin story
For a while, it looked like Hinchliffe’s athletic calling was golf. He played at a high level on the junior circuit in England. His athletic pursuits would take him in a different direction, however.
He began training at his sister’s athletics club as a teenager. While he didn’t register any noteworthy results at the time, often racing in improper or casual attire, he continued sprinting for the next few years.
After high school, Hinchliffe enrolled at the University of Lancaster for academic reasons. A positive result at a university track meet made him take training more seriously. From there, he gradually advanced up the collegiate ranks.
Hinchliffe spent his first collegiate season running for Washington State University. He made it to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, but decided to transfer to a different university at the end of the season.
A chaotic transfer process saw him left without many options, until nine-time Olympic champion Carl Lewis gave Hinchliffe an opportunity to run under him at the University of Houston.
Hinchliffe prepares for Paris 2024
Hinchliffe improved immensely under the guidance of coach Carl Lewis. Despite a lackluster season opener of 10.40 seconds, his times gradually dropped throughout the season.
He clocked 10.00 seconds in the preliminary round of the NCAA Division I West First Rounds to achieve the entry standard for Paris 2024.
A quick detour to Eugene, Oregon saw him secure his first NCAA title. Now he's on his way back to Great Britain to prepare for the UK Athletics Championships Manchester 2024 from 29-30 June.
The meet will play a critical role in the selection of Great Britain’s Olympic team. Hinchliffe will need to be amongst the top two athletes in the men’s 100m to give himself the best chance at selection for Paris 2024.
With the spotlight trained on him in the lead up to meet, he’ll finally get a chance to be the star of the show.