West Michigan Native Goes For The Gold At Olympics
He's the the reigning world champion in the 800 meters and he has his sights set on the biggest prize in track and field: Olympic gold. Donavan Brazier was a state champion when he competed for Kenowa Hills High School in Grand Rapids and then he became a national champion at Texas A&M. A gold medal for him at the Olympic games this summer in Tokyo is a realistic possibility. Brazier told WOOD TV,
"I think I’ve been kind of fortunate enough that whatever stage I have gotten to I have been able to succeed…In my first year as a professional, I won a U.S. title. So it’s kind of come easy.”
Brazier is fast. Really fast. However, an Achilles tendon injury took him off the track in 2018. Staying healthy is a challenge. He has had to negotiate the mental and physical challenges of the pandemic. His training facility in Oregon shut down this past year creating another challenge for Brazier...staying motivated. He said,
“You’re not always motivated, so if you’re not motivated, you have to be disciplined."
If Brazier remains healthy and motivated he could have some new hardware. He could be the first U.S. athlete to win a gold medal in the 800 since 1972.
After a year long delay, the Summer Olympics are scheduled to begin officially July 23 with the opening ceremony and end Aug. 8 with the closing ceremony. The games will be hosted by Tokyo, the second time the city has had the honor. The first time was in 1964. These games are the first time the Olympics have ever been postponed. They will be called the Olympic games of 2020 even while taking place in 2021. NBC, NBC Sports Network, CNBC and USA Network will broadcast events and nbcolympics.com will stream.
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Gallery Credit: Peter Richman
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