Most expected Dendy’s shot at Olympic glory to happen at the Rio Games in 2016. Dendy earned a spot on Team USA in the long jump and was considered one of the favorites. However, only days before the Games were to start, Dendy suffered a lower-leg injury that prevented him from competing.
Five years later — the global coronavirus pandemic extended Dendy’s wait for a year — the 28-year-old Dendy refused to be denied. Dendy finished second in the long jump at the U.S. Olympic Trials last month to secure his spot in Tokyo in the long jump.
Dendy is no stranger to international success. He was the the 2015 U.S. outdoor national champion and 2016 U.S. and world indoor gold medalist, and no male athlete has won more titles in the horizontal jumps at the NCAA Championships since the turn of the millennium than Dendy.
Now, after a long wait and the accumulation of years on his tall and lean frame, Dendy finally gets a chance at the Olympics.
AT A GLANCE
SPORT: Track & Field
EVENT: Men’s long jump
HOW HE QUALIFIED: Dendy earned a spot on Team USA…
