AW promotion

To become an elite athlete in one sport is hard enough, but to do so in two and juggle them both at the same time quite another.

But for Devon Allen, who finished agonisingly close to the medals at the 2021 Olympics in the 110m hurdles, two flames continue to burn bright.

The first is to make good on his desire to become a full-time professional in the NFL, which has yielded a debut for the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2023/24 season.

And the second is to exorcise the demons of Tokyo, which Allen will aim to do by qualifying for the U.S. track team for Paris in 2024.

Can you compete in two elite sports at the same time? Given some of his times in 2023, the answer for Allen appears to be: Yes you can.

Still Got It

Before he potentially takes to the track at his third Olympic Games, Allen will be part of the Eagles squad that navigates the rest of the 2023/24 NFL campaign.

The sport betting odds make Philadelphia an 8/1 chance to win the Super Bowl in February. While Paddy Power News focus more on the likes of the San Francisco 49ers (9/4), Baltimore Ravens (5/1), and Miami Dolphins (8/1), theres no doubt that Allen and his colleagues are in with a chance of winning one of the most-watched sporting events on the planet.

The Olympic Games arent far behind on that score, which will be the 29-year-olds main focus once the NFL season concludes in the opening weeks of 2024.

That will give him ample time to practice out on the track, shaping up for what could be the last Olympic appearance of his career and the last shot at a medal that hes come so close to winning before.

13.04 for @DevonAllen13 in NYC, Daniel Roberts takes the win pic.twitter.com/y4aM0B8TuQ

Hayden Herrera (@haydenherrera) June 24, 2023

Allen hasnt been idle in his time away from competition. Although his appearances at major events have been fleeting of late, he did still scorch to a sublime 13.04 run at the NYC Grand Prix last June at the time, that was the fourth fastest 110m hurdles outing of the year.

In the end, the likes of Hansle Parchment and Grant Holloway would smash the 13-second barrier to showcase their enviable talent, but for Allen to post 13.04 while competing part time is a measure of his enduring speed.

With more track time forthcoming in the first half of 2024, expect that to fall even further.

Turning Back the Clock

To prevail in Paris, Allen will of course need to break that all-important 13-second mark.

Hes no stranger to doing exactly that, with a PB of 12.84 albeit set back in 2022 still one of the fastest times ever recorded.

It is surprising that he hasnt yet been able to parlay that into a major championship medal, but the fact that Allen is still recording incredible times and aided by the experience and maturity that comes with advancing years stands him in excellent stead for 2024.

The 29-year-old has an extra weapon in his armoury: that feeling of being an athlete wronged.

Devon Allen, a fan favourite, was DQd in the 110m hurdles final.

The former Oregon Duck says hes heading home to rest for a few days before getting ready for Philadelphia Eagles training camp in a few weeks.#WorldAthleticsChampionships pic.twitter.com/VwJz6PMcmF

CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) July 18, 2022

He made headline news around the globe in 2022 when he was disqualified from the World Championship final Allen moved before the gun by an extraordinarily narrow 0.001 second earlier than the legal margin of error allows.

And then there is the heartache of missing out on silver at the Tokyo Games by 0.05 second and on the bronze by 0.04 small margins that determine how the history books are written.

But hell hath no fury like an Olympian scorned Allen could yet be the first person since Bullet Bob Hayes to win both an Olympic gold medal and a Super Bowl.