Freddie Crittenden had kissed the Eugene track in 2021 believing it would be his last time competing. 

"I was saying goodbye," he said. "I knew I can't do this anymore." 

Three years ago, he had reached Eugene barely, on the work of one event and a few races in the 110 meter hurdles. He had bombed out in the semifinals of the U.S. Olympic Trials. 

"I was close to giving it up," he said. "I was broke. I didn't make any money that year and didn't make it out of the semis." 

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But then he didn't. He ran 13.14 at U.S. Outdoors the following year, then was picked to represent the U.S. at the NACAC Championships and ran 13.00 flat, winning gold in the Bahamas. 

The time was the fourth-best in the world that year. 

"It was something that really changed my perspective," Crittenden, 29, said. "I found happiness with my group and my wife and my friends and my teammates helped me up in that moment." 

Crittenden's momentum continued. In June, he finished behind Grant Holloway at the U.S. Olympic Trials, clocking a new personal best of 12.93 seconds to qualify for his first Olympic Games and his second straight major championship. 

"It's an amazing feeling to come out here and accomplish what I've been trying to accomplish for the past 17 years I've been running track," Crittenden said after his performance. 

Among the various stories coming out of the U.S. Olympic Trials, few were as poignant as Crittenden. 

"It's pure excitement," he said. "It's excitement in the purest form. Like intangible excitement. You can't describe it."

The Phoenix-based hurdler, former Michigan high schooler and Saint Louis native had been a talented hurdler all his life, earning multiple All-American finishes in college at Syracuse and even coming up with a silver at the Pan American Games in 2019 in the 110mH. But despite traveling the world as a professional and finding success, he nearly gave up the sport at the age of 26. 

By 2024, he still had no sponsor other than TrackSmith, which provided him with gear and a place to stay in Eugene. 

"I graduated college in 2017," Crittenden said. "I missed out on a couple teams. A couple fourth-place finishes. That left me in a place where shoe companies and sponsors were like, 'We don't want to bet on this guy.'" 

But despite a low point in 2021 -- which included him blowing out two hamstrings during a Diamond League performance in Doha -- Crittenden did not give up. 

He followed a schedule, training in the morning, followed by lunch in the afternoon and work in the evening. 

After taking jobs wherever he could find them -- at Game Stop, in a warehouse and as a substitute teacher -- his cousin hired him to run an after school program for a non-profit called G Road, which provides resources and positive programming to youth in the Phoenix area. 

"That's been my stability," Crittenden said.

After a career best in 2022, he followed by making the World Championships the following year in Budapest. He came up just short of a medal there, earning a fourth-place finish. 

It was that year, however, which started to change Crittenden's perspective. 

"A big moment was last year making my first team and my wife was there. My coach was there. Just having that moment with all of them was a beautiful thing."

Buoyed by his work with Phoenix-based coach Tim O'Neil, Crittenden was in control over the season, clocking times of 13.30 at the Diamond League in April, 13.16 at the Prefontaine Classic and 13.28 at the Racers Grand Prix in Jamaica. 

By the time he reached the Olympic Trials, Crittenden was locked in. 

He made steady work over the first two heats, running 13.16 and 13.05 over the rounds. 

By the finals, he unleashed. His wind-legal 12.93 was his first performance under 13 seconds of his career and the second-best time in the world.

"It's pure excitement," he said. "It's excitement in the purest form. Like intangible excitement. You can't describe it." 

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