Team USA women have got their guide ahead of the Paris Olympics in 2024. In a recent announcement, a Long Beach State’s track phenom took over the reins in what would be her third stint in the Olympics. She had previously managed the women’s team in the 2020 and 2016 Olympics, respectively. However, the former USA National Team women’s head coach’s success goes beyond just managing the athletes in the Olympics. 

The 60-year-old is one of the most successful coaches in the history of USA women’s track and field. She serves as the head at the Long Beach State for both the men and the women. Now, with yet another Olympic glory awaiting, let’s learn a little more about Sheffield. 

LaTanya Sheffield: A sneak peek into her glorious accolades

Sheffield is one of the most sought after track and field coaches and her accolades more than justifies the demand. Serving as the head coach for the US women’s team at the 2022 Worlds, Sheffield had one of the best outings. Continuing her good work, she trained the US women to perfection at the Pan American Games in 2019, as they clinched 18 medals combined. 

Displaying her coaching prowess in full glory, Sheffield is having one of the best runs with her Long Beach State athletes. In the past ten years, her team has clinched the Big West championships for a whopping seven times. Out of these seven instances, the men have lifted the trophy on five occasions while the women made a strong statement by claiming the title twice in three years. Her impeccable coaching methodology is reflected in the fact that Long Beach State boasts of a Big West Athlete of the Year in both male and female categories in the past couple of seasons. 

In what was an extremely unlucky miss for Sheffield and her team, the Long Beach State men’s team missed out on the championship by two points. This would have been a great achievement, as no other team had managed to come so close to winning both championships in over a decade. So her understanding of the game is unquestionable. But how did LaTanya Sheffield get such a good grasp of the game? 

LaTanya Sheffield shone brightly as an athlete too

Sheffield herself was a master of the craft. She ended up in eighth place in the 400m hurdles at the Seoul Olympics in 1988. The 60-year-old clinched gold twice in the Olympics Sports Festival in 1987 and 1983, respectively. She is also the proud bronze medal winner of the 1987 Pan American Games. 

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Setting a 400m hurdles American record, Sheffield flaunts the title of being a 2x All-American for San Diego State and also the NCAA 400m hurdles champion in 1985. Her impeccable performance on and beyond the field earned her an SDSU Athletics Hall of Fame induction in 1993. 

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