Wilson, Little take their hurdle bond to the top

Arkansas' Britton Wilson (left) and Shamier Little after the 400-meter hurdle final at USATF Championships on June 26, 2022.

FAYETTEVILLE — Britton Wilson and Shamier Little, who train together at the University of Arkansas, comprise half of Team USA’s four entries in the women’s 400-meter hurdles at the World Championships.

“I think it’s amazing to be going to worlds, especially with my training partner,” Wilson said. “I look forward to the competition.”

Wilson, a third-year sophomore for Arkansas who transferred from Tennessee, capped her collegiate season by winning the 400 hurdles at the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore., on June 11 when she ran 53.86 seconds.

Two weeks later back at Oregon’s Hayward Field, Wilson finished second at the USA Championships in 53.09 to break her own school record. Little took third in a season-best 53.92 as both earned automatic spots for the World Championships, which begin Friday and run through July 24 at Eugene.

Sydney McLaughlin, an NCAA champion at Kentucky and gold medalist at the 2020 Olympics, won the U.S. title by lowering her world record to 51.41.

“It was a really special moment for me,” Wilson said of making her first World Championships team. “I was just honestly excited to be in the final, and be in that race in the first place.

“Coming in second was really amazing. I was super excited. Turning around and seeing Shamier jumping up and down made me even more excited to be on the team with her.”

Along with McLaughlin, Wilson and Little, Dalilah Muhammed will compete in the 400 hurdles for Team USA at the World Championships after receiving an injury waiver.

The first round of the women’s 400 hurdles will be Tuesday.

Muhammed, a former Southern California standout and the 2016 Olympic gold medalist and 2020 silver medalist, missed the USA Championships because of a hamstring injury.

Little, a three-time NCAA champion at Texas A&M and silver medalist at the World Championships in 2015, has been training at Arkansas since 2018 with Razorbacks assistant Chris Johnson, who coaches Arkansas’ sprinters and hurdlers. Her personal-best of 52.39 last year ranks fifth on the all-time U.S. list.

“It’s hard to train by yourself, especially in the 400 hurdles,” Little said. “So to know that you’ve got this feisty young one like Britton, it’s like, ‘OK, there’s no slipping.’ I love being pushed.

“This year I was worried — am I going to have anybody to push me? Then Britton came on the scene and we saw her talent developing.”

Little, 27, said she sees similarities in her career path and how Wilson, 21, has progressed.

“I see a little bit of myself in her,” Little said. “She made her first world team as a sophomore in college, and that was the same situation for me. It’s just been very cool to work with her and Coach Johnson.”

Johnson said he feels fortunate to work with two hurdlers who will compete at the World Championships.

“Obviously this has been something we’ve been working towards all year long,” Johnson said. “The biggest thing was to stay healthy and keep them focused on one meet at a time, one training session at a time and not get ahead of ourselves.”

Johnson, in his 11th year at Arkansas, recruited Little when she was a high school star at Chicago’s Robert Lindblom Math and Science Academy, but she chose Texas A&M.

“Getting turned down, that’s always tough,” Johnson said. “But as a coach, we’re used to it. Everyone’s after the same athletes. Me and her college coach [Aggies assistant Vince Anderson] are really good friends.

“Obviously I thought Arkansas would be a better choice, but I thought she made the right decision at that time for her. The second time around, it was good. She was more mature, she’s grown up a little bit more, and I thought that coming here at the time she did, I was probably a better fit than it would have been as a collegiate athlete.”

Little, a volunteer coach with the Razorbacks, said she decided “it was best that I have a complete change of scenery” when she started training with Johnson.

“He came recommended to me by my coach at A&M,” Little said. “He’s amazing. A really, really good coach. He’s tough on us, but he knows when to soften up on us, and he keeps us laughing.”

Wilson has blossomed working with Johnson after her times at Tennessee weren’t as good as what she ran in 2019 as Virginia Gatorade Female Track Athlete of the Year at Mills Godwin High School.

“When we spoke during the recruiting process when she was transferring, I told her what it would be like,” Johnson said of training at Arkansas. “But I don’t think initially she really understood what that was all about.

“As time went on, she really got to know who I am, and the coach I am. I know I can be very, I guess intimidating would be the word maybe. Britton says I was scary,” Johnson added with a laugh. “But I’m very demanding.

“The talent was always there. I think it was just being able to train the way she needed to train and her confidence growing as the season continued to build, and this is where we are.

“Every athlete is not fit for every coach, so I think Tennessee was just not a good fit for her.”

Wilson, who has set the Arkansas record in the 400 hurdles five times, said she’s benefited from Johnson stressing strength and endurance in workouts rather than speed training that was emphasized at Tennessee.

“At the beginning of the year, I told him he was scary,” Wilson said. “But I think getting to know him, and him getting to know me, has definitely been a big thing for our athlete/coach relationship.

“The workouts, I don’t want to say now that they’re scary, but they are hard.”

Fortunately for Wilson and Little, they have each other to lean on during workouts.

“Having someone here like Shamier is definitely great for me,” Wilson said. “It’s been good to learn the ropes from her.”

Little said she and Wilson keep each other motivated and take turns leading workouts.

“The days where we feel the worst, those are the days we still need to put in the work as if we feel the best,” Little said. “We even help with after-care.

“One day I was about passed out, and I felt Britton reach over and untie my shoes and take them off. She’ll bring me my water bottle, and some days I’ll grab her water bottle while she’s finishing a rep.

“We really look out for each other.”

Wilson’s top time this season ranks third in the world and Little ranks 10th.

“I think it’s possible for us to both get on the podium,” Wilson said of she and Little finishing among the top three and earning medals. “I think I can go faster and Shamier can go faster.

“We have a lot of positivity and good vibes going into it.”