Sinclaire Johnson earns first national title, punches ticket to Worlds

Union Athletics Club’s Sinclaire Johnson breaks the tape in 4:03.29 at the 2022 Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships. Photo by Tim Healy

By Joe Zochert

In a stacked women’s 1500m, Union Athletics Club’s Sinclaire Johnson captured her first national title with a mark of 4:03.29. 2020 Olympians Cory McGee and Elle St. Pierre placed second and third, respectively.

Even with the deep field, Johnson was confident in her chances after running a personal best of 3:58.85 at The Prefontaine Classic last month at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon.

“It showed me that not only am I going to be able to compete with the best in the U.S., but I'm going to be able to compete with us in the world,” said Johnson about her performance at the Pre Classic.

With this confidence, Johnson planned to try to stay in top-three contention and react to any moves in the front to give her a chance on the final lap.

“From the beginning, I was just gonna try and hold that top-three position and not let myself fall back from that and just cover any moves,” said Johnson.

The Nike runner’s strategy paid off as she found herself behind McGee, St. Pierre and Bowerman Track Club’s Karissa Schweizer at the bell. On the final curve, Johnson passed McGee on her outside shoulder to take the lead.

“I felt like the last lap was just waiting, patience and unleashing my last gear,” Johnson said as she clocked a 59.28. 

“Cory made a move on the backstretch, I followed her and then, like 150 to go I was like, ‘Alright, this is my this my chance to swing to the front and just try to hold it on until the finish,’”.

After crossing the finish line, Johnson was greeted with hugs by McGee and St. Pierre to congratulate her on making her first team. 

The 24-year-old said that this race wouldn’t have been as competitive if it wasn’t for those two. Johnson is excited to be teammates with them at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 in July.

“The level of competition wouldn't be where it's at if it weren't for Ellie and Cory,” said Johnson after the race. “So I feel like just having them to push me and make me better and to be able to celebrate together, like we're all trying to make the team out there, it feels pretty good.”

This victory is a complete 180-degree turn from last year as she placed last in the 1500m at the Olympic Trials.

Johnson compared this to her NCAA victory in 2019 as she place last in 2018 and came away with the NCAA title just a year later.

“I feel like that's kind of my M.O. like in college in 2018,” she said. “I got dead last in the 1500 and then came back and won the thing next year.”

“I don't know if that had a little bit of foreshadowing of what was going to happen in my pro career.”

These losses have given Johnson more motivation for competing and showed her the larger picture of the sport.

“I feel like it just adds fuel to the fire.” she said about getting last in 2018 and at the 2020 Olympic Trials. “I think it's good to lose.”

 “I think you learning to lose and learning to deal with the  adversity in our sport just only makes the highs higher and makes you just appreciate things more.”

With making her first U.S. team, it still hasn’t set in for Johnson that she will be representing her country at the first ever World Championships in the U.S.

“I think I haven't really fully wrap my mind around that yet,” she said. “But, just having the World Championships on US soil for the first time ever is already in and of itself an incredible opportunity.”

“I get to represent my country and I'm ready to do big things there.”