For years, Alia Armstrong has proven herself as one of America’s best hurdlers! She won the NCAA Championships in 2022; later that year, she finished 4th at the World Athletics Championships, and more recently, she won the USATF indoor 60m hurdles in 2026. Yet despite those accomplishments, the 25-year-old entered the USATF Outdoor Championships without any sponsor. Still, she made sure to leave behind a performance that will be remembered for years.

On July 26, Armstrong lined up for the women’s 100-meter hurdles final against one of the deepest fields in the country. She exploded out of the blocks, stayed composed through the middle of the race, and finished with a brilliant lean at the line to clock a season’s best 12.38 seconds. The performance was enough to edge Alaysha Johnson, who finished second in 12.42, while Tara Davis-Woodhall claimed third in 12.57.

The victory secured Alia Armstrong’s first USATF Outdoor Championships title, a milestone made even more remarkable by the fact that she accomplished it as an unsponsored athlete. “I just knew I had to get out and stay out. That’s really as simple as it gets,” Armstrong told reporters after the race. “I know I have the speed. I know I have the technique.”

Alia Armstrong further added. “My start was amazing. I think I had a good reaction into the first hurdle. I feel like I really pushed as well as I could. Today was a really good start.”

The triumph made more sense considering the difficult start Armstrong endured this season. In February, she tested positive for spironolactone during an out-of-competition drug test. The medication had been prescribed to treat acne, but she had not obtained the required Therapeutic Use Exemption before taking it. After reviewing the case, USADA concluded there was no intent to cheat and determined that Armstrong had been using the medication under a doctor’s care.

Rather than issuing a suspension, USADA handed Armstrong a public warning. Yet her latest triumph has raised a different question. How is an athlete with Armstrong’s résumé still without a major sponsor?

LSU success laid the foundation for Alia Armstrong

Prior to becoming a pro, Alia Armstrong was already one of the best young hurdlers at LSU. She secured the NCAA Outdoor championship and the SEC title in 2022 and finished her collegiate career as a fifth-year senior in 2024. During that time, she had the opportunity to appear on The Money Game: LSU with Angel Reese, Livvy Dunne, Jayden Daniels and Flau’jae Johnson on Prime Video, followed by the rise of the NIL opportunities for student-athletes.

While those deals brought visibility, they were never a substitute for a long-term professional sponsorship. After leaving LSU, Alia Armstrong entered the professional ranks as an unattached athlete. Since then, she has continued to build one of the strongest résumés in American hurdling. Despite those achievements, she is still without a major sponsor. That could soon change as Armstrong has already set her sights on an even bigger goal.

Alia Armstrong is aiming to qualify for September’s World Athletics Ultimate Championships and needs more ranking points to earn one of the 16 spots in the field. If she makes it, she could face reigning Olympic champion Masai Russell, France’s Cyrena Samba-Mayela, and Puerto Rico’s Jasmine Camacho-Quinn. But the challenge doesn’t worry her.

“Confidence wise, I feel like I can go into every race knowing that I’m a champion,” Armstrong said. “It doesn’t matter who I’m up against. It’s just me and the clock.” Whether or not a sponsorship comes next, Armstrong has already proved she belongs among the world’s best.