Cordell Tinch has a story to tell
Interview by Jeff Benjamin, story by Larry Eder
A good athlete in high school, Cordell won the conference championship as a freshman at the University of Kansas in 2019.
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cordell walked away from the sport. He hit, what he later called, a “mental block”. Cordell stayed away from the sport for nearly three years!
Cordell Tinch has spoken, in several interviews on his “odd jobs” during this period away from the sport. He worked at US Cellular as a cellphone salesman, and worked in a Georgia-Pacific paper mill.
Cordell Tinch has been honest about his challenges with mental health. During his time away from the sport, Cordell told media that he found himself, and gained the perspective to return to the sport.
In 2022, after some encouragement from a former teammate and his mother, Cordell returned to college, at Pittsburg State, an NCAA Divison II school in Kansas.
That first season, Cordell won the 110m hurdles, high jump and long jump in same NCAA D II Championship, something never done before! That was in 2022!
In 2023, Cordell Tinch ran 12.96, breaking the NCAA record for the 110m hurdles. That was in June 2023. In 2024, Cordell finished 4th in the Olympic Trials 110m hurdle final-he had been hack for less than two years!
2025 was incredible. He ran 12.87 in China during the Diamond League early meets. That 12.87 moved Cordell to the number 4 all-time, and made him the fastest hurdler in 2025!
At the World Championships, Cordell kept his cool and took the win in the hot, humid, and pressure-filled World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, running 12.99!
Cordell had a short indoor season, running the 60m hurdles twice and leaping 8.28 meters for the long jump.
At the Millrose Presser, Cordell was asked by Jeff Benjamin, senior writer for RunBlogRun, about a race that was a Turning point in his career.
Enjoy the video:
#turningpoints, we asked Cordell Tinch, at Millrose Games Presser on 30 January, if there was a race or event that told him that Cordell could be an elite track & field athlete. Cordell Tinch is the 2025 World Outdoor Champion at the 110m hurdles! Interview by Jeff Benjamin.… pic.twitter.com/STnHNHInhV
— RunBlogRun (@RunBlogRun) February 25, 2026