Background

As a student at Dominguez High School in Compton, Lionel Larry was one of the most decorated sprinters in the country. In 2003, Larry won the California State title at 200m and was the Long Beach Press-Telegram Track & Field Athlete of the Year.

While Larry's first year as a Trojan at USC was curtailed by a hamstring injury, 2006 saw Larry improve dramatically over 400m, placing sixth in the NCAA final. The following year, Larry was the runner-up in the 400m at the NCAA Championships, and improved his 400m personal best to 44.67 at the USATF Championships. It was at those championships that Larry finished third and qualified to compete as a member of Team USA at the IAAF World Championships in Osaka. In Osaka, injuries prevented Larry from advancing beyond the first round.

In his final year at USC, Larry provided the Trojans with victories at the USC/UCLA Dual Meet, the PAC-10 Championships and the NCAA Western Regionals. At the NCAA Championships in Des Moines, Larry was the runner-up for the second year in a row. Following the NCAAs, Larry qualified for the final of the US Olympic Trials, where he finished eighth.

Since completing his social sciences and history degree at USC, has set significant personal bests at 100m and 200m, making him one of the contenders for a spot on what would be his second World Championships team.