Former NC State Wolfpack athlete McKenzie Long’s medal quest falls short at Paris Olympics

She just came off a grueling collegiate season.

But that didn’t slow down Raleigh’s McKenzie Long as she ran for the U.S. team at the Paris Olympics in the women’s 200-meter final.

Not only did she become an Olympian this summer, but she qualified for one of the toughest finals in the 200 and gave it her all, posting a 22.42, seventh overall behind American teammates Gabby Thomas, who won gold, and Brittany Brown, the bronze medalist.

Long, an NC State alum who later transferred to the University of Mississippi to continue her athletics career, had an illustrious collegiate career. She was a three-time NCAA champion, eight-time All American, two-time SEC champion, and two-time Bowerman Award watch list member.

She qualified for the 200-meter Olympic squad alongside Thomas and Brown. Thomas has helped guide Long in this process after going through it for her first time in Tokyo. Running in memory of her mother, Tara Jones, who passed away from a heart attack in February, Long has a lot to be proud of, not just on the track.

“I’m really just proud of competing the way that I did,” Long said after reflecting on her performance at her first Olympic Games. “Given all the stuff that I’ve been through, I was really telling myself I’m not supposed to be here. Just being here is the pivotal moment - everybody wants to imagine just being in the Olympics and I was able to become a finalist. That’s all I can take from this.”

This is just the beginning of her professional career and she said she’ll always stay true to where she came from.

“I love my Raleigh people,” she said. “I really miss NC State - State really just molded me into who I am. I really just took NC State and just believed in myself, found out who I am, and just empowered myself even more. I’m here [now] as a professional athlete. I’m just proud of myself - I’ve done a lot.”

Anna Laible is a student with UNC Media Hub, a program with the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media, reporting from the Summer Olympics in Paris. Laible hosts the Speak Up Sports Podcast. Follow her journey covering her first Olympics on her Instagram (@anna_laible).