Hannah Cunliffe, an adidas professional athlete and collegiate indoor co-record holder in the 60-meter dash at 7.07 seconds, discusses her strongest indoor season since competing for Oregon in 2017, highlighted by a pair of 7.17 efforts Feb. 13 to finish second at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island, N.Y. Cunliffe expresses gratitude for agent Paul Doyle organizing the four-meet American Track League indoor series in January and February at Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Ark., in addition to Mark Wetmore for keeping the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix on the calendar, allowing her to race seven times, after competing in a combined three indoor races from 2018-20. She examines her technical improvements and reviews her starts, in addition to projecting how the phases of her races will translate into the outdoor season. Cunliffe, who trains in Florida, reveals her desire to compete regularly in the 200 meters during the spring and summer, looking to improve her personal-best 22.49 from 2016. She analyzes the depth in the sprints in the United States and how strong the field expects to be at the Olympic Trials in June. Cunliffe shares her reaction to being included among the former Oregon athletes highlighted at the renovated Hayward Field in Eugene, and how meaningful that recognition is in her career. She reveals the possibility of returning to compete at the new stadium prior to the Olympic Trials, in addition to the potential for American Track League outdoor events organized by Doyle. Cunliffe reflects on how important races in July in Florida were to her emotional well-being, and how big an advocate she is for athletes expressing any struggles with mental health, either in a journal or speaking directly with a sports psychologist. She emphasizes how significant the loyalty of sponsors has been during the pandemic, including Liquid I.V. and Blue Faces Juice, along with the support of adidas. Cunliffe also speaks about how her younger sister Chloe, the national high school indoor record holder in the pole vault, has adjusted during her first full year as a PUMA professional, with both athletes competing together at several events.

DYESTAT DISCUSSIONS - EP36 - HANNAH CUNLIFFE