Northridge, CA - CSUN Track & Field Assistant Coach Lawrence Johnson is no stranger to international competition. He has represented the United States at countless meets and events and was even named USA Track & Field's Coach of the Year in 2013. But Johnson will travel to his first Olympic games very soon, coaching three hurdlers at the upcoming 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
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"Having the opportunity to compete for a medal representing the United States is such an honor and a pleasure, to be out there knowing that you're doing something that's going to make
Johnson with Castlin, Muhammed and Rollins
your country proud of you," said Johnson. "It's not a responsibility that we take lightly. We feel honored to have the opportunity to represent Team USA and we're going to do our best to make sure that we can bring the hardware back home."
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For the past several weeks, Johnson has been training Olympic hurdlers Brianna Rollins, Kristi Castlin and Dalilah Muhammed at the Matador Track & Field Complex, taking advantage of the collegiate offseason and newly resurfaced track. Muhammed heads into Rio as the United States' 400m hurdle champion and Rollins and Castlin will represent the United States as its fastest 100m hurdlers.
Dalilah Muhammed trains at the Matador Track & Field Complex
"I'm so ready for the Olympics," said Muhammed, crediting Johnson for giving her the extra boost she needed to get there. "I'm so happy to be sharing it with two of my teammates and coach," she added. "We've definitely worked on my strength and my speed, I'm definitely so much faster than I was in the past."Â
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Johnson, who joined the Matadors as an assistant coach prior to the 2015 season and promptly helped the Matador women win that season's Big West Championship, last summer represented America at the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Relay Championships. He also served as an assistant coach for women's jumps and combined events at the 2014 IAAF World Indoor Championships and has coached 92 United States Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches' Association (USTFCCCA) All-Americans.
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"It's always refreshing to work with the college student-athletes because they're so young, they're very energetic and they want to learn," explained Johnson. "And then when the
Rollins and Johnson
professionals come in, I have another opportunity to take what I'm teaching the college kids to the next level. I can see it in layers and in steps through all of the athletes that I have the opportunity to coach, and it's very rewarding."
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Johnson and his three hurdlers will proudly represent CSUN in Rio, and Johnson will make sure he wears his "red CSUN good luck polo," which he gives partial credit for Rollins,' Castlin's and Muhammed's success at Olympic Trials.
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"The pride of being a Matador and representing in red for the university…it makes you feel really good; it's something that you're really proud of," said Johnson. "It's the same thing with Team USA. You like to see everybody working together to make things happen."
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Johnson will be blogging about his experience in Rio on www.GoMatadors.com throughout the Olympics.Â
