By Justin Gaymon // Photo by Stephen M. Katz

Brandee’ Johnson is a Warrior.

She proved it during the 400m hurdle prelims at last month’s World Youth Trials, where she fell over the third barrier, but still managed to rally herself to a 1:01.00 finish.

To put that time into context, less than 30 female athletes in the country have run under 1:01.00 in the 400m hurdles this year and several have won major championship titles with times that are slower.

To be fair, only high school track and field events within Iowa, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and South Carolina typically feature the 400m hurdle races. Other states run the 300m hurdles. Nevertheless, the sheer determination and grit that Johnson showed during that race proved that she embodies the Warrior logo on her Nansemond River High School singlet. 

“After I fell I was just thinking that I had to get up and redeem myself,” said Johnson. “I told myself that qualifying for the final was something that I could do and I just fought through the race.”

Johnson would draw lane one for the final, a tough one to manage over hurdles with a bandaged knee. She finished strong with a time of 57.90 behind Sydney McLaughlin, whose time of 55.28 was the second fastest ever by a youth athlete.

Johnson, a rising senior, and McLaughlin, a rising junior at Union Catholic High School, are now the two representatives for Team USA in the women’s 400m hurdles at the World Youth Championships, taking place in Cali, Columbia on July 15-19.

World Youth Championships will be Johnson’s second international competition, her first being at last year’s World Youth Olympic games where she earned bronze in the 200m. Though she’s a three-time New Balance Nationals champion, it will be McLaughlin’s first time ever competing outside of the United States.

“Physically I feel more prepared for this meet than I did with World Youth Olympics,” said Johnson. “I’m confident going into the 400 hurdles because I know my strategy and what I can do. I know what I have to do to get on the podium and am willing to fight to get there.”

Some of Johnson and McLaughlin's biggest competition will come from Jamaica’s Junelle Bromfield and Shian Salmon, who have ran some of the world’s fastest 400m hurdle times this year with 58.07 and 58.88.

“My main goal is to come out and represent the United State of America well,” said Johnson. “I want to be on the podium for the 400 hurdles and run a personal best of 55.5 or faster.”

You can find more information on the World Youth Championship here:

http://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-youth-championships