"We want to prepare for the World Championships, run fast before the World Championships to get confidence and then try to win the World Championships."

Happy Friday! This is the eighth edition of Track Snacks – a mini-series taking you into the weekend where Chris Chavez and a CITIUS MAG staffer or friend share the story of an athlete who they're excited about right now that you can expect to see compete at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 (July 15–24, 2022).

For this episode, we're joined by Brazilian hurdle star Alison Dos Santos after he won the Prefontaine Classic men's 400m hurdle race in a world-leading time of 47.23. Last summer, he was part of one of the greatest races in track and field history – the Olympic 400m hurdle final. Norway's Karsten Warholm made history by becoming the first person to break 46 seconds with his victory (45.95). Rai Benjamin went 46.17 for the second-fastest time in history and the silver medal. Dos Santos rounded out the podium with a 46.72 for the bronze medal.

We chatted more with him about how he got his start in track and field because he was competing on big stages as a teenager including winning a bronze medal at the 2018 World U20 Championships. He’s earned gold medals at the South American Championships and the PanAmerican Games. His first senior global championship came in 2019 when he finished 7th at the World Championships in Doha – just a quarter of a second away from the bronze medal.

I watched Dos Santos during the practice session at Hayward Field. He’s six feet, seven inches tall and puts down tremendous force into the ground. While he’s fierce and focused on the track, if you catch him anywhere off-the-track, he’s always willing to stop and chat, crack some jokes, tell stories and even share a dance.

Track Snacks is presented by Hayward Magic. Everyone knows how much all of us in the CITIUS MAG family love track & field, and how much we enjoy sharing that love with you all. Well, we’ve got a few big love-sharing ideas in the works and it all takes place in Eugene, Oregon this summer. Hayward Field will be the home to the Prefontaine Classic, the USATF Outdoor Championships and the World Athletics Championships. We'll be there and you should be too. Visit https://citiusmag.com/summerofhayward/ for all the information on dates and tickets.

Track Snacks is sponsored by @HaywardMagic, the Instagram home for the true track & field diehards, dreamers and fans. Sharing the magic of the sport and elevating the athletes that push it forward. Follow them on Instagram @HaywardMagic.

Intro music: "Believe In Yourself" by Norm Cotone