Introduction

A single medal and a single podium might not appear all that impressive, but Sam was only sixteen years old when he won that Gold, and if you add his 2023 Continental Championships win, as well as his youth Silver and Bronze World Champs finishes, then you start to get a picture of just how capable this young athlete is.

Sam will be eighteen years old when he takes on the rest of the world at the Olympic Games in Paris, and, with a PB of 5.02 in 2023, it will be exciting to see just how close to the magical five second barrier he can push it, and whether he can make the podium.

Qualification route

Pan American Games Santiago 2023: 1st Place (Speed)

Sam qualified for the Olympics by winning Gold at the Pan American Games in Santiago with a time of 5.37.

Trivia

In spite of a stumble in the final, Sam’s winning time of 5.37 at the Pan American Games was actually faster than the current Olympic record.

UKC prediction

4th place

Sam may not be ranked as highly as Jinbao or Matteo, but he’s got the speed to challenge them, and he’s still just a teenager. We think that Sam might well climb to a new PB in Paris, and one that could bring him close to medal contention.