Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf competing to qualify for Olympics in 100-meter dash

Nick Suss, Mississippi Clarion Ledger
·2 min read
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DK Metcalf is testing his speed against the fastest men in the country, and possibly the world.

Metcalf is slated to participate in the USA Track and Field Golden Games on Sunday in the 100-meter dash. The Seattle Seahawks wide receiver has not competed in a track meet since his days at Oxford (Mississippi) High School, but his 4.33-second 40-yard time at the 2019 NFL Combine and his reputation as one of the fastest straight-ahead runners in the NFL attracted the attention of USA Track and Field.

After Metcalf ran down Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker in an NFL game last fall, hitting a top speed of 22.64 mph, USATF sent a tweet inviting him to "test his speed against real speed" at the Olympic trials.

Metcalf will do just that Sunday. He will be one of the 16 sprinters participating in the Golden Games with 24 spots remaining to compete in the US Olympic trials. Metcalf can automatically qualify for the Olympic trials if he runs in 10.05 seconds or faster or if he clocks in as one of the fastest men who doesn't hit that mark. Per Yahoo Sports, the time needed to qualify for the 2016 Olympic trials was 10.16 seconds.

If Metcalf runs at his top speed from the Baker play for 100 consecutive meters, an exceedingly unlikely occurrence given his inexperience as a sprinter and the fact that he's starting from 0 mph, he'd be able to run the 100-meter dash in 9.88 seconds.

On May 3, Metcalf tweeted a tease to the race, posting a video of him dropping track cleats with "May 9" bolstered in text above.

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash at the 2019 NFL combine.
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash at the 2019 NFL combine.

A number of current or former NFL players have participated in Olympic Games or trials in the past. Chicago Bears wide receiver Marquise Goodwin participated in the long jump in the 2012 Olympics and former Detroit Lions running back Jahvid Best represented Saint Lucia in the 100-meter dash in the 2016 Olympics.

The Summer Olympic Games will be held in Tokyo this year, beginning July 23 and ending on Aug. 8.

Follow Nick Suss at @nicksuss on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: NFL's DK Metcalf competing to qualify for Olympics in 100-meter dash