RIO DE JANEIRO – The Rio games are Kerron Clement’s third Olympics.
He didn't medal in the London games in 2012, but he came to Rio as a favorite in the men’s 400-meter hurdles.
He came into Thursday’s race feeling confident, and boy, did it show.
[CLEMENT WINS 400M HURDLE GOLD, CULSON DISQUALIFIED]
La Porte’s Clement dominated the track in the race, landing him the gold medal.
“I had no doubt in my mind that I would come out of here with a gold medal. I just stayed focused on who was in my lane and trusted myself,” Clement said.
Clement gave it his all, especially during the last 100 meters.
For him, it was about trying to dig deep.
[WATCH: LA PORTE'S KERRON CLEMENT TAKES HOME THE GOLD]
“The last 50 meters of the last hurdle I really felt the lactic acid in my legs and I was like, 'Oh my God, he's coming! He's coming!' I honestly wanted to dive through the finish line, but I said 'Dig down deeper for that win,'” Clement said.
After winning gold, Clement’s mom gave him an American flag to walk around the stadium with. He calls it a defining moment in his journey to get here.
“When I saw her, it was just like a sigh of relief. I'm just happy that she came here to witness history,” Clement said.
Kerron said the medal is not just for him, it’s also for everyone back home in Texas.
“People back home in La Porte and the Houston area, thank you so much for the support and just know that if you believe in yourself anything can happen,” Clement said.
Congratulations to LaPorte's Kerron Clement. GOLD in the men's 400m hurdles ! .@KPRC2 #RoadToRio #Rio2016 #kprc2 pic.twitter.com/sck22qA7PD
— Andy Cerota (@KPRC2Andy) August 18, 2016