2022 World Champs silver medallist arrived in Rome with a heavy heart but leaves doubts behind! Alabama-born Trey Cunningham, after facing back-to-back setbacks last year at events like the Philadelphia Slam, USATF Outdoor Championships, and more, looked disappointed at times. But this year he stayed “present” even in an off year. And he even showed his form with a 7.48 win at the NB Indoor, tying the world lead. And now, just when he looked ready to make a bigger mark at the Rome Diamond League, he faced another setback, but still did not give up.

On June 5, in his season opener over 110m hurdles, Cunningham,27, produced the race of his life. He ran a 12.98 world-leading run. And in doing so, he finally broke the 13-second barrier after three earlier attempts at 13.00. Interestingly, this win also broke a 27-year-old meeting record set by Allen Johnson in 1999, putting him into elite company as the 29th member of the sub-13 club.

However, Orlando Bennett followed in 13.31, while Enrique Llopis took third in 13.32. Jamal Britt, who entered this one undefeated and was pushing Cunningham over the race’s opening stages, got tripped up over the final few hurdles and finished 9th.

For Cunningham, the win also came with challenges. “I had struggles with my travels; my luggage got lost. But I am always ready. I pack an extra pair of spikes and kit for race day in my backpack,” he said, reflecting on how he handled the unexpected. But now, as he achieved the big mark, he said:

“This was a long time coming. I kind of hoped to run this last year. Beating the meeting record of Allen Johnson, who is an all-time great, set 27 years ago, is special. He was one of the legends of the event. I am very excited for the World Ultimate Championships. It’s going to be 16 fastest people and only one winner. We don’t get to race a lot so I will enjoy it. The motto this year is to enjoy what is happening right now.”

This is a developing story…