Michael Norman, the 2022 World 400m champion, has made a decision to switch his focus to the 100m in 2023. However, he returned to competing in the 400m event this past season and reunited with his former coach, Quincy Watts, as confirmed by Norman’s representative. In his first race since last July, Norman clocked 44.21 seconds in the 400m, ranking him as the second-fastest in the world so far this year based on best time. This time was just one hundredth faster than Jamaican Antonio Watson’s winning time at the world championships held in August.
During the 2023 season, Norman faced several setbacks which he described as “setback after setback,” including tendonitis. He also made a coaching change in May, moving back to Quincy Watts after being coached by John Smith since his college years at USC in 2017 and 2018. Norman’s performance in the 100m at the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships last July was disappointing as he was eliminated in the first round by finishing eighth in his heat.
Following his struggles in the 2023 season, Norman made the decision to step away and focus on preparing for the 2024 Olympic year, choosing not to defend his spot in the 400m at the world championships. However, he is still determined to achieve gold at
