DK Metcalf's dreams of competing at the Olympic Games may be out of reach for now, but the Seahawks wide receiver held his own sprinting at the USA Track & Field (USATF) Golden Games and Distance Open on Sunday. Days after NBC Sports reported that the Pro Bowler had entered to run the 100-meter dash in an attempt to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials, Metcalf finished last among nine runners in the event. His 10.36-second time, however, stood out considering it kept him in the mix until the finish line and came from one of the NFL's most physically imposing pass catchers at 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds.
A 10.05-second finish would've automatically qualified Metcalf for the Olympic Trials, which are used to select representatives for the Olympic Games. Coming in, the wideout was expected to need at least a 10.2-second finish to have a chance at "advancing." Still, Metcalf has already drawn his fair share of praise -- from in and outside of the sprinting community -- for his Sunday performance.
D.K. Metcalf held his own in the 100m.
— NFL (@NFL) May 9, 2021
Final time of 10.36 seconds. 🔥 (via @NBCOlympics)pic.twitter.com/fxU52Sc3xP
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes tweeted afterward that he has "mad respect" for the wide receiver after his Golden Games run. NBC Sports' Ato Boldon, a former Olympic sprinter, believes Metcalf's outing "should encourage every fast NFL guy ... that the Olympic Trials are not that far away."
As for Metcalf himself, who reportedly enlisted his agent to assist in Olympic-level training after the USATF playfully invited him to try his speed in their lanes last fall? The NFL star was just thankful for the chance to sprint alongside some of the nation's top athletes.
"I'm just happy to be here, excited to have the opportunity, (and I) thank God for the opportunity to run against world-class athletes like this," Metcalf said, per ProFootballTalk. "Just to test my speed against world-class athletes like this ... They do this for a living. This is very different from football speed."
