Exclusive | Anna Cockrell wants to cap emotional LA homecoming with greatest personal feat

Anna Cockrell already has an Olympic silver medal.Now she wants two golds, and she knows exactly where she wants to win them. She wants to stand on the top of the podium inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, where the former USC track and field superstar spent countless Saturdays cheering on the Trojans.

Cockrell hopes to write the next chapter of her remarkable career when the Games return to Los Angeles in 2028. In an exclusive interview with the California Post ahead of Nike’s sold-out After Dark Tour half- marathon in Redondo Beach last Saturday, the 29-year-old revealed that she’s targeting Olympic gold in the women’s 400-meter hurdles and the 4×400 meter relay at LA28. “Of course I want gold,” Cockrell said.“And on top of that, like, I want to be on the relay, too.

So I got to get my flat 400 time down because I don’t want one, I want two.We’re trying to double up next time.”It’s an ambitious declaration from an athlete who has already conquered adversity, battled her own demons and climbed onto an Olympic podium.But perhaps the most intriguing part of Cockrell’s pursuit of gold isn’t the destination.

It’s the road that brought her back to Los Angeles.When Cockrell first arrived at USC from North Carolina a decade ago, she wasn’t exactly enamored with the City of Angels.“This is blasphemous to say now, but when I first arrived at USC, I didn’t love LA,” Cockrell admitted.“Because LA is just so big.”She had dreamed of leaving home and making a name for herself in a major city.

Once she arrived, however, the reality was considerably more intimidating.Eventually, she found her footing, her friends and her family away from home.She also became one of the most decorated hurdlers in USC history, winning three individual NCAA championships, including a historic sweep of the 100-meter and 400-meter hurdles in 2021.But her college experience wasn’t all championships and celebrations.“As many wins as I had, there wer...