"In Azaria Hill's family, the children were encouraged to go to the Olympics. Not to watch, but to compete. Hill's father Virgil, a boxer, earned a silver medal at the 1984 Summer Games. Hill's mother, Denean Howard, met Virgil at the 1984 Games and won Olympic gold that year running with her sister, Sherri Howard, in the 4x400-meter relay. The sisters won silver medals in the 4x400 at the 1988 Olympics before Denean earned another silver at the 1992 Games."
"But her top marks of 11.70 seconds in the 100 meters and 23.93 in the 200 didn't rank in the top 100 for U.S. women in 2021, her senior year at Nevada Las Vegas. So if she was going to continue the family tradition, she knew she'd have to find another sport. Jadin O'Brien was in a similar fix. She won two NCAA titles in the pentathlon but finished seventh at the U.S. trials ahead of the 2024 Games."
Azaria Hill comes from a multi-medal Olympic family: father Virgil won 1984 boxing silver and mother Denean Howard won 4x400-meter gold in 1984 and silvers in 1988 and 1992. Hill's sprint times of 11.70 in the 100 and 23.93 in the 200 did not place her among the U.S. top 100 in 2021, prompting a change of sport. Jadin O'Brien, a two-time NCAA pentathlon champion, finished seventh at U.S. trials before the 2024 Games and likewise needed a new path. Both athletes transitioned from track to bobsled and will compete in the two-woman event at Cortina.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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