As Bruce Arians promised, virtually every TV inside the AdventHealth Training Center on Monday morning was tuned to the track-and-field portion of the Olympics.
What played out on the screens was the best practice precursor Arians could’ve hoped for.
Former USC national champion Anna Cockrell, youngest sister of veteran Bucs defensive back Ross Cockrell, used a dramatic final kick to place second in her heat in the women’s 400-meter hurdles semifinals and earn a spot in Wednesday’s finals.
Running in an evening downpour inside Japan National Stadium in Tokyo, Cockrell overtook Ukraine’s Viktoriya Tkachuk in the final few meters for the second-place finish in 54.17 seconds. Tkachuk’s time (54.25) also earned her a finals spot.
Femke Bol of The Netherlands, one of the world’s premier competitors in the event, easily won the heat (53.91).
The finals are set for Tuesday at 10:30 p.m. EST, which is late Wednesday morning in Tokyo.
“She was a gymnast at first, and then once she switched over to track, she just had a real natural ability there,” Ross Cockrell told reporters after Sunday’s practice.
“But as soon she started running, she was running fast. High school, she had a chance to go to the Olympic trials in 2016 so we knew it was on her mind. She’s an absolute animal on the track, and I have a ton of respect for what she does.”
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