Just imagine, hours before your first World Indoors Championship, a doping control officer accidentally injects a needle into the wrong place in your arm. It leads to a blood clot and a lot of pain, yet for Jordan Anthony, it didn’t seem to matter. He not only won the gold medal in the 60m but also became the fourth-fastest in the discipline. And yet, it was his celebration after the race that became one of the most talked-about moments.

The 21-year-old celebrated his dizzying run by putting his hands over his face, a move that surprised many and prompted questions after the race.

“Um, oh, the celebration,” Anthony said in his post-race conference. “It’s really just telling everybody to shut the F up because, like, a lot of people thought I was gonna come here and wet the bed and do this, that, and the third.  But, you know, God put this dog in me.

“I’m gonna always release the dog when it’s time to be released. And I’m just grateful that I be able– I was able to represent myself, represent Team USA as well. Um, we’re against great, great competitors because, like, we all know Keishaune, we all know, um, Trayvon, we know– all know, um, really everybody in the field. Like, it was great competitors.”

Anthony added, “Um, I was able to showcase my talent and show USA that I am a young buck that’s coming up, but I am experienced. And thank you for welcoming Jordan Anthony to track and field.

However, while Jordan Anthony was the clear winner with 6.41, Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson and Trayvon Bromell needed a photo finish to separate them. The two registered a 6.45, but as per the final verdict, Thompson finished just ahead, in fact by only 0.001 seconds, to win the silver. It means that reigning 2025 champion Jeremiah Azu came in fourth despite clocking in at 6.46.

This does mark Anthony’s first major medal, although he is no stranger to winning. The 21-year-old won the U20 200m dash title at the USA Outdoor Championships in 2022, kicking off a streak. Since then, he won the 60m at the NCAA Indoor Championships and then the 100m in the Outdoor Championships in the same year.

That’s exactly what Jordan Anthony touched upon when asked how it felt to win his debut 60m World Indoor Championship gold.

“Uh, it’s great,” Anthony explained. “Like, I’m, I’m great. Like, I– It just feel like a NCAA national title to me. Like, it’s not that big of a deal, but it’s big of a deal because, like, it’s a– the country, I’m running against countries and not just collegiate.

“But overall, I just feel, I feel great. Blessed and highly favored. Like I was saying, without God, I’m nothing. So all praise to Him. And shout out to the fans.”

In the same year, he also broke the 10-second barrier in the 100m for the first time in his career. It marks a sensational start to a fledgling career, only for Anthony to prove that he’s far from a baby bird when he beat Noah Lyles and Trayvon Bromell in the 60m. That came at the 2026 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships, an exceptional result given the pedigree of his opponents.

Jordan Anthony opens up about the blood clot

And Anthony’s performance meant that he became the 12th American to win the 60m since the World Indoors kicked off. But the fact that Anthony managed to clear the pack by 0.4 seconds is rather impressive, given‌ that the 21-year-old didn’t even sleep properly the night before.

While Team USA’s medical staff and doctors treated the blood clot and reduced the swelling, the pain didn’t disappear. So much so that Anthony couldn’t move his arm properly, all before one of the biggest races of his life. And yet, despite that, the young American sprinter was far from scared and focused solely on winning the gold medal.

“Honestly, no, ’cause, like, life is no life,” Anthony added. “Like, you know, you gotta prepare for when– what, what happens in life. And like I said, like Noah told me, “Expect the unexpected,” and the unexpected happened.

“But, you know, the devil’s always out there trying to stop you from doing a good deed. And like I was saying previously, I’m never gonna stop– let anything stop me from getting a gold medal and representing Team USA.”

Now his target is the outdoor season and then the LA Olympics in 2028, but only time will tell if Jordan Anthony manages to live up to his immense potential.