After giving everything she had in her final 400m hurdles race at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship, 36-year-old Dalilah Muhammad has finally retired. The 2x Olympic champion finished in 53.11 seconds in Budapest, after a decorated run that brought her three Olympic medals and two world titles. With Muhammad now stepping away from competition, the moment also hit close to home for her longtime training partner, who shared a heartfelt message after getting to compete alongside her one final time.
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On September 13, Anna Cockrell and Muhammad lined up together in the women’s 400m hurdles final. Cockrell crossed the line third in 53.09 seconds, just 0.02 ahead of Muhammad, who finished fourth. Afterward, Cockrell opened up about what it meant to compete alongside Muhammad one last time. “I’m gonna miss her a lot. And it’s hard to believe this is her last one, but, special to be able to share with her, for sure.”
For Cockrell, Muhammad was never simply someone she trained with. Their relationship grew from admiration into a close friendship, mentorship and competitive partnership. Cockrell trains in Arkansas under coach Lawrence “Boogie” Johnson, alongside Muhammad. Their connection also goes back to their shared USC ties.
In a 2024 World Athletics feature, Cockrell described working alongside Muhammad as “one of the coolest things in the world.” She had gone from watching Muhammad as a USC star to eventually sharing workouts and major competitions with the athlete she once admired from afar. Muhammad has been equally open about Cockrell’s importance to her.
The two training partners raced against each other in the 2025 USATF Outdoor Championship 400m hurdles in Eugene. There, Muhammad won the national title; Cockrell was second, helping USC produce a 1-2-3 sweep alongside Jasmine Jones, who took third. Following that race, Muhammad made it clear that her relationship with Cockrell was more than just a race.
“We are friends always. I think we’re more than friends: We’re family at this point,” Muhammad said. “We’re going to push each other. I love seeing her journey. She pushes me just as much as I push her. We’re going head to head, but it’s always love at the same time.” That bond made Muhammad’s retirement difficult for Cockrell to accept. Even though in 2025 Muhammad had previously spoken about stepping away from the sport, Cockrell admitted she was struggling to believe it was really happening.
“I’m trying to convince her to do one more year. I’m in denial. This isn’t her last year. But I wish her all the best,” Cockrell said in 2025. Now, there is no more convincing Muhammad to stay for another season. But the question remains: why did Dalilah Muhammad decide to retire?
Dalilah Muhammad’s journey from Olympic glory to her final goodbye
To understand the reason behind Dalilah Muhammad’s retirement, it is worth looking back at the career she built. Muhammad became an Olympic champion at the 2016 Rio Games, winning the 400m hurdles in 53.13 seconds and becoming the first American woman to claim Olympic gold in the event. Five years later, she picked up another Olympic medal at Tokyo, finishing with a silver in 51.58 in the 400 meters hurdles.
She also joined the United States and won gold in the 4x400m relay. Even before the Tokyo Olympics, her 2019 season was arguably the best chapter of her career. At the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Muhammad won gold and set a world record of 52.16 in the 400m hurdles.
Muhammad went on to gather more medals, eventually becoming a 5x U.S. champion in the 400m hurdles. In 2025, she beat Anna Cockrell in Eugene and earned another chance at the World Championships. But after years of competing at the highest level, the physical demands began to catch up with her.
An Achilles injury during the Paris cycle slowed her, but the physical toll from years of elite competition was the main reason. In 2025, she told NBC Sports that she expected the season to be her final one. However, she later changed her mind and returned for one more season in 2026. That extra year gave her the opportunity to enjoy the sport for one more year. But the final race came at the 2026 World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest.