Allen makes pro debut, earns his reserved lane in the Pre Classic

By Romaine Soh for DyeStat

EUGENE -- Feeling nervous before a race is not “normal” for Olympic hurdler Devon Allen. The last time he felt a similar level of anxiety was at the Rio Olympic final last year where he finished fifth, and he had no strategy to calm himself.

"It's weird for me to feel nervous," said Allen, a two-time NCAA champion and national champion. "Luckily, I was running in front of Hayward Field in front of all the fans, so it took some pressure off me."

Seven months out from his second ACL surgery and a day after he was cleared to race, the Nike professional ran his second-fastest season opener with 13.59 seconds for the 110-meter hurdles at the Oregon Twilight on Friday evening, finishing a step behind training partner Johnathan Cabral, who won the race in 13.55.

Allen likened racing against Cabral to his daily practices, where the two Olympians consistently run alongside each other.

“He’s been getting me lately,” Allen said. “Hopefully (in the) next couple of weeks I can get him.”

Allen and Cabral had been neck-and-neck for much of the race before Allen clipped the last hurdle. That opened a tiny window of opportunity for Cabral, who represents Canada internationally, to surge past his training partner, exacting revenge on Allen after finishing sixth in the Olympic final.

It was an easy decision for Allen to open his season at Hayward Field. The 22-year-old, who is finishing his last term at the University of Oregon, still trains there regularly. The Hayward fans know him from his days representing the Oregon Ducks in both track and football, and winning the U.S. Olympic Trials last year.

“No matter how I run, they’ll still give me love,” Allen said.

Before the race, Allen tried to toy with Cabral’s head by wishing good luck to everyone except him. Cabral, who has three years of experience dealing with Allen’s antics, simply brushed him off.

“Nothing that I can’t just ignore,” Cabral said.

After the race, fans clamored around Allen along the fence for autographs and selfies, where he stood for at least 10 minutes. Cabral joined him for a few minutes before both of them shared a victory lap.

Allen dedicates time to fan interaction because he remembers being on the other side of the fence queueing for autographs when he was a kid. Throughout high school and his first two years as a collegiate athlete, his father made him wait to sign every kid’s autograph. It has  become part of his routine. 

Shortly after Allen posted his first time of the season, Prefontaine Classic meet director Tom Jordan officially offered him the lane that was reserved for him a few weeks ago, which Allen accepted on social media.

Allen will race once more before the Pre Classic at the IAAF World Challenge in Kingston, Jamaica on May 20. His goals this season include qualifying include trying to secure a spot on the U.S. team and go to the IAAF World Championships, which line up with Cabral’s mission to represent Canada in London.