GREENSBORO, N.C. — If you blink, you could miss him.
N.C. A&T 400-meter track star Randolph Ross Jr., 20, sports his bright yellow trainers and electric speed, but he isn’t flashy.
What You Need To Know
Randolph Ross Jr. is 20 years old
His father and coach, Duane Ross, is a former Olympian himself
Trevor Stewart and Daniel Stokes will join Ross in Tokyo
The 400-meter prelims begin on July 31 (Aug. 1 in Tokyo Standard Time)
At some level, he’s just a normal college student.
“I still got to do homework. I just finished my project (Friday) morning,” he said.
But on July 31 (August 1 in Japan Standard Time), the Garner, North Carolina native will trade out the books for a pair of spikes at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
“A feeling that’s still a little hard to explain even though we’ve been here for a little while now,” Ross said. “But just being at the top of the athletes in the world…it’s hard to explain.”
It’s not all rosy though.
Before he left, we asked him about the flight to Tokyo.
“Ugh, that flight is kind of depressing, that’s a long time,” Ross said with a sigh. “I don’t know if I can sit still that long.”
He isn’t alone in Tokyo.
Duane Ross, his coach, former Olympian and father, traveled with him.
“As a father, I have to keep my emotions in check because I’ve seen him…I mean we used to race in the backyard,” Duane Ross said. “I’ve kept him in track and field and other things as early as he could walk.”
And it’s bigger than just Randolph Ross.
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are sometimes thought of as less competitive because they are smaller schools.
“People take that acronym and treat it as if, ‘Oh, that means you can’t compete at this level,’” Duane Ross said.
For him, shifting perception isn’t just a passion, it’s a duty.
“Just to be able to say HBCUs are changing the narrative overall, that’s a responsibility my coaching staff and I take seriously,” Duane Ross said.
With athletes like his son, his responsibility gets a little easier. Carrying the family legacy can seem like a daunting task, but after waiting an extra year because of the pandemic, gratitude is abundant.
“Everything can be taken just like that, so it just makes you thankful for what you have now,” Randolph Ross said.
What he has now is a chance at Olympic gold.
He’s also joined at the games by his teammates Trevor Stewart (USA) and Daniel Stokes (Mexico), who are both competing in the 400.
Ross and Stewart have gone back and forth the last few times they’ve faced off. In fact, sometimes the pair couldn’t even train together because they literally ran too fast and were too competitive.
“We’ve run with each other all year, and we know what each of us can do,” Ross said. “So, when I step up on the line, I know he’s going to be the main problem.”
The 400-meter semifinals are August 2 and the finals are August 5.