EUGENE, Ore (WCMH) – Former Buckeye Anavia Battle is looking to secure a spot on Team USA during the ongoing U.S. track and field Olympic trials, which could make for her second straight spot on the Olympic team.
Battle is mid-competition as the track and field events stretch through Sunday, already having finished ninth in the 100-meter dash finals last Saturday.
“The goal is top three at trials,” Battle said. “So it’s a progression. Every time you hit the track, you have to motivate yourself to get up a level.”
At the 2021 Olympic trials, she hit her personal best time of 21.95 seconds in the 200-meter dash, securing her third place at the trials and a ticket to Japan. The 25-year-old placed 16th in Tokyo just months after graduating from Ohio State.
“People like to think of the Olympic trials as this big stage and it can be scary if you think of it like that,” she said. “I wouldn’t say I try to minimize it, but I try to stay calm, stay present.”
The first round of the 200-meter dash is Thursday night. Despite the stakes of these races, Battle said she’s feeling confident and calm.
“I am in such a better place than I was last year, just so happy,” she said. “Every time I hit the track, I don’t look at it like a punishment. I’m like, ‘Oh, I’m so excited.’”
Coverage of the US Olympic track and field trials continues at 5:30 p.m. on NBC4.