She qualified for Olympics in Cool Ranch Doritos earrings. Here are her ties to KU
Christina Clemons had no idea that a trip to Hot Topic would cause this much of a stir.
The 100-meter hurdles sprinter — and University of Kansas volunteer coach — didn’t think much when she purchased Cool Ranch Doritos earrings that matched the color of her uniform the day before her finals run in June at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon.
After wearing them while finishing third and qualifying for the Olympics, though ... let’s just say her social media popularity blew up.
Something she realized after checking her Twitter account.
“I see ‘Congratulations,’” Clemons said with a smile, “but mostly, I see ‘Doritos.’”
Clemons’ fame from the fashion choice continued a few days after as well.
Doritos reached out for her address, and Clemons figured she might get some free food. Instead, the company sent her a custom Doritos bag featuring her picture on the cover.
“It was crazy,” Clemons said.
And also just the start of an Olympic story Clemons hopes to build on as she begins her journey in the 100-meter hurdle preliminaries in Tokyo starting at 8:45 p.m. Central time on Friday.
For the 31-year-old Clemons, this opportunity has been a long time coming.
She attempted to make the Olympics briefly in 2012 as a collegian at Ohio State — an effort she admits “didn’t pan out too well.”
2016 was supposed to be her year, but an Achilles injury sidetracked that dream, as she finished fourth in the semifinals at the U.S. Olympic trials while failing to make the final.
“That was heartbreaking,” Clemons said. “I remember being under the bleachers, crying my eyes out to my coach.”
The frustration was mostly health-related. While others were getting better, Clemons felt she was simply trying to get healthy.
That set up this final push in 2021, as she placed third in the U.S. Olympic Trials with a time of 12.521 seconds ... leaning just ahead of Gabbi Cunningham, whose official time was 12.526.
“When I talk about what it takes in order to make it,” KU track coach Stanley Redwine said, “that’s a perfect example of hard work paying off.”
Clemons says KU has played an important role for her. She has trained in Lawrence off and on since 2018, with her coach in Alabama sending workouts she would complete in Kansas.
“I love the community here,” she said of Lawrence.
Clemons also is married to former KU runner Kyle Clemons, whom she first met at a track meet in Atlanta. Kyle previously won gold with Team USA in the 2016 Olympics as part of the 1,600-meter relay team.
As for her aspirations now, Christina Clemons says there’s no reason to aim lower than a feat she believes would “shock the world.”
“I want to bring home gold,” Clemons said. “That’s the goal, and it’s something that I know that I can do.”
If “Cool Ranch Clemons” does that, however, it’ll likely be without her good-luck charms. Clemons believes her Doritos-bag earrings are likely to be forbidden at the Olympics, simply because they will be viewed as a stunt.
“I won’t be doing that,” Clemons said with a laugh, “but we’re going to figure something out.”
