Leigh Diffy and Ato Boldon Credit: NBC Sports Screenshot
By Arthur Weinstein on

Nia Ali is a former world champion and Olympic silver medalist in the 100-meter hurdles, but at age 35, she’s not a shoo-in to make the 2024 U.S. Olympic team in that event.

So Friday night, when Ali got out of the blocks slow and immediately dropped from contention in a 100-meter heat race at the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials in Oregon., it seemed her chances of making the semifinals were cooked.

NBC play-by-play broadcaster Leigh Diffey immediately noticed Ali off the pace.

“Oh, look at Nia Ali!” Diffey said.

“Oh no, this must mean she’s injured,” NBC analyst Ato Boldon quickly added.

Diffey quickly figured out the issue. With all the scratches in the event, every competitor in that heat would automatically advance to the semifinals.

“No, but she knows that everybody goes through (to the semifinals),” Diffey said.

“Oh, gotcha,” Boldon said.

“Nia Ali is saving her energy,” Diffey said.

“Well, this is what happens when you’re a veteran and you’re 35, and everybody’s going through. ‘Why am I bothering to expend any energy in the first run,'” Boldon said. “She scared me for a second there, I thought she had picked up an injury.

“That was a brilliant move. Nia Ali showing the kids what they should have done.”


It was a prime example of sportscasters having to figure out an unusual situation on the fly. That Diffey solved the puzzle within a second or two was impressive. But both he and Boldon were momentarily stunned and worried by Ali’s slow start. The NBC Olympics X account even posted, “Nia Ali had Ato Boldon fooled.”


[SportMedia; Photo Credit: NBC Sports]

About Arthur Weinstein

Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.

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