Openly gay former college track star L’equan Chapman is getting his shot at the United States Olympic Team. Chapman is one of 97 athletes invited to be part of Team USA’s “Scouting Camp: The Next Olympic Hopeful,” which will air nationally as a two-hour broadcast premiering at 9 p.m. ET on Aug. 25 on NBCSN.
Chapman was a standout jumper and sprinter at Shippensburg University. In 2015 he was named the 2015 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Atlantic Region Men's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year.
His strength and speed will be put to the test as he competes for a shot at a spot with the U.S. Men’s National Rugby Team. He’s competing with about dozen other athletes for the shot at the men’s team. The athlete they select as the next hopeful will receive training at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
“It was a tough week physically and mentally,” Chapman told Outsports, commenting on part of the trial that has already been shot. “I learned a lot about myself in the process. The mentors were extremely motivational, and shared their stories of determination and sacrifice with us.”
The rugby mentor for the event is 2016 Olympian and former Detroit Lion Carlin Isles.
You can find L’equan Chapman on Facebook, or on Instagram @Kingfujiiii.
