The Warm Up Track 2024: Kirani James – Why Olympic gold was just the beginning

Sportsworld

Grenada’s Kirani James discusses winning his first global medal aged 14, and the Olympic title at 19. He also describes being diagnosed with the thyroid condition Graves’ Disease in 2017, and the impact that had on him.

He tells us where he keeps his full set of Olympic medals, and explains what it’s meant to stand on the podium in the same event at the last three editions of the Games.

When he won at London 2012, he went online to check the words of Grenada’s national anthem, because he knew all 105 thousand residents of the island would be watching him sing.

Still only 31, James believes he can reach the Olympic final again in Paris and tells us why, once there, all things are possible. He also reveals that, whatever happens in the French capital, he wants to compete at LA 2028, and that desire grew out of a conversation he had last year with his former coach Harvey Glance, before he passed away in June of 2023.

Photo: Grenada's gold medallist Kirani James celebrates on the podium of the men's 400m at the athletics event during the London 2012 Olympic Games on August 7, 2012 in London. AFP PHOTO / JOHANNES EISELE (Credit: AFP via Getty Images)