PARIS — Three summers ago, Freddie Crittenden left Hayward Field determined never to run another race.
Tired of multitasking, struggling to pay bills, while chasing a dream that just wasn’t attainable.
As an unassisted player, Crittenden received no annual salary. He paid for his spikes, gear, coaching and travel. He left money to pursue professional running even though his fastest time in the 110m hurdles was just two-tenths shy of what Olympic medalists were running
Crittenden scrambled to find side jobs that didn’t interfere with his workout schedule. First, he greeted customers in the GameStop store and answered questions.
He later did training, substituted classes, restocked shelves in a warehouse and delivered to Uber Eats.
The costs piled up for Crittenden as COVID-19 wiped out the 2020 season and a back injury kept him from training or racing for most of 2021 he was eager to break through.
“I was devastated,” she said. “The injury was healing as quickly as I thought it would and life was getting great. The bill was going up.”
Crittenden finished a distant sixth in his semifinal heat and failed to qualify for the 110 hurdles final. Then, he got down on his knees and planted a kiss on the Hayward Field track.