Cordell Tinch’s rise is one of the most dramatic comebacks in recent track and field history. After stepping away from the sport for three years and working regular jobs, including selling cell phones, he returned with renewed focus and exploded onto the hurdling scene. In just over a season, he went from overlooked to unstoppable, culminating in a 12.99s win at the 2025 World Championships to become the men’s 110m hurdles world champion. But little did he know that his win would garner a reaction from the NBA star, Tyrese Haliburton. 

Tinch’s story isn’t short of a bumpy road to success. Back in 2022, the Wisconsin native had to step away from the competitive world and was forced to work as a cell-phone salesman in Green Bay. But he decided to make a comeback in 2023 and won multiple NCAA DII indoor titles, catching wider attention from the world. In May 2025, at the Diamond League meeting in Shanghai-Keqiao, he ran 12.87 seconds in the 110m hurdles. That time made him the joint-fourth fastest man ever in that event at the time. He also hit 12.92 seconds at the 2025 Diamond League final in Zurich. But securing the gold as the world’s fastest hurdler this year was an achievement beyond commendations. 

On Tuesday, NBC Olympics & Paralympics shared Tinch’s big win with the world on X. And Haliburton stumbled upon the news. The NBA star responded to Tinch’s win and revealed his decade-old dream. Haliburton wrote, “10 years ago, we would drive to aau practice together and dream about where we are today. God is Amazing, Proud of my brother LFG!!” The world is a small place, right? Getting a win and being remembered by an NBA star for their decade-old relationship is simply crazy! 

Cordell Tinch was visibly happy as he lengthened the gap between his opponents and secured the win in less than 13 seconds. And talking about the win, he claimed, “Being the only one to run sub-13 today makes me happy. I believed I was the best out there, so I didn’t feel any pressure. People expected me to panic, but I stayed focused.” But the question still lies unanswered… How did he manage to do it?

Like everyone else, the 25-year-old entered the Tokyo Championships intending to secure the win and become the best hurdler in the world. And there was only one thing that helped him achieve this win. 

How did the 3-year-long hiatus help Cordell Tinch to win the gold medal in Tokyo?

Tinch managed to leave strong contenders like Tyler Mason and Orlando Bennett at the World Championships. It was a triumph only a few can attain. But according to the gold medalist himself, the secret to his victory lay in his three-year-long break. He stated, “I think that without me finding myself, without me stepping away from sports in 2019-2020, to be able to find myself, I don’t think I would have found myself on the top of the podium in 2025.” 

So, how did the odd jobs like selling phones, installing cables, and operating paper machinery help him? Cordell Tinch continued, “Being able to step away from sports in general, kind of living through things that I don’t wanna do, you know. I don’t wanna sell phones, I don’t want to work on paper mills, I want to have my own hours, be able to work toward something as a goal.”

As of now, Tinch has shown continuous growth as a hurdler ever since he returned to the world of track. And he certainly does not regret stepping away from the track. But do you think that it’s the reason why Tinch got the gold at the 2025 World Championships? Share your thoughts in the comments.