2024 Paris Olympic Games are looming with the Athletics schedule set for August 1st to August 11th.
Among the native Ohioans preparing to make the trek overseas for track and field competition is Trevor Bassitt.
Bassitt, a 2017 Bluffton High School graduate and former standout for NCAA Division II Ashland University, solidified his spot on Team USA last week at Trials with his 3rd place performance in the 400m Hurdles finals, where he produced a season's best mark of 47.82.
He'll be joined by national champion Rai Benjamin (46.46) and Trials runner-up CJ Allen (47.81) on the men's 400H squad.
As we march-up to the Olympics, Bassitt joined us to discuss his round-by-round showings at Trials and the hopes he has for himself next month on the world's biggest stage.
Bassitt also outlined his rise in the sport at Bluffton, his evolution as an athlete during the college years and the influential coaches and teammates who've helped to shape him as the Olympic caliber competitor he is today.
Time Stamps
- 0:00 -- Interview Intro
- 0:40 -- Opening Round at Trials being Top 5 Auto-Advance helped to alleviate stress
- 2:30 -- Executed exactly how he wanted to in the preliminary heat
- 3:45 -- Highlighting what he meant by: "Treat the semi-final like it's a final until you don't have to"
- 5:20 -- Explaining why he researches the athletes who will be on his inside and outside lanes
- 7:00 -- Following the semi-finals, talking the rhythm he was starting to feel
- 8:00 -- Initial feeling once he placed 3rd in the finals and qualified for the Olympics
- 8:55 -- Backing up his comments from years ago that "he will never miss making an American team again"
- 10:15 -- How he overcame some early season struggles to perform at his best during the Trials
- 11:50 -- Describing his 'underdog' mentality and how that motivates and propels him in competition
- 12:45 -- Pride in showcasing that NCAA Division II athletes can perform at the top level of the sport post-collegiately
- 13:50 -- The possibility of having less pressure within Division II, which allowed him to blossom in the sport without big expectations
- 15:25 -- Development from the 110H to succeeding in the 300H in high school to finding his key event, the 400H once he arrived on the college scene
- 18:50 -- Coaches at Bluffton who helped him put the necessary foundation in place to evolve in the sport and take his game to the next level in college
- 21:00 -- Talking about the support he received from the Bandit Unsponsored Project
- 22:40 -- Memories and impacts that he carries from the late Coach Jud Logan at Ashland
- 25:40 -- Highlighting what success will look like for him in Paris
- 27:00 -- Experience racing against almost all of the other top athletes in the 400H event already
- 27:35 -- Who he's most looking forward to watching perform from other events
- 28:35 -- What other sports he's interested in checking-out while he's at the Olympics
- 29:30 -- How special it is to be representing Ohio, along with Katie Moon, McKenzie Long, Annette E.
- 30:45 -- Episode Close
Photo Credit: Bryan Deibel/FloTrack
