The Antigua and Barbuda National Olympic Committee announced Monday that Lady Vol redshirt freshman Joella Lloyd has received the country’s universality placement for the 2020 Olympic Games. The 19-year-old sprinter will represent her country in the 100-meter dash on the sport’s biggest stage this summer in Tokyo, Japan.
Under the universality rule, NOCs may enter one male athlete and one female athlete, regardless of time, if they have no athletes of that gender meeting the qualifying standard. For the women’s 100-meter dash, Lloyd’s personal-best time of 11.19 is just .04 seconds off the entry standard of 11.15 set by World Athletics.
Lloyd made her mark in the Tennessee record book during the 2021 campaign, tying the all-time program standard in the indoor 60-meter dash at 7.15 seconds and breaking the Lady Vol freshman record in the 100-meter dash at 11.19. Both performances went down as national records for Antigua and Barbuda.
Lloyd’s 2021 season was highlighted by a conference title and First Team All-America honors in the indoor 60-meter. She became UT’s first SEC Champion in the event with her 7.15 clocking at the conference meet before going on to place sixth at NCAAs in 7.23.
Her success continued into the outdoor season with a lifetime-best 100-meter dash of 11.19 at the Tennessee Challenge, ranking Lloyd as the No. 4 performer in Lady Vol history. She earned Newcomer All-SEC honors with her fifth-place finish at the conference meet before punching her ticket to nationals where she placed 23rd.
Lloyd will be the first Tennessee athlete from any sport to represent Antigua and Barbuda at the Olympics. She will be the third Lady Vol track & field Olympian to run the 100-meter dash at the Games, joining former standouts Alice Annum (1972) and Tianna Bartoletta (2012, 16).
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