13-year-old sprinting sensation Camryn Dailey, has taken the U.S. athletics scene by storm, with performances so electrifying that fans have started uttering a name no one invokes lightly, Florence Griffith Joyner, the iconic FloJo.
It all began when a track fan posted on social media just days ago, comparing Dailey’s jaw-dropping speed to the late Olympic legend whose records of 10.49 seconds in the 100m and 21.34 seconds in the 200m, set in 1988, remain untouched to this day.
Breaking Records, Setting Standards
At the 2025 New Balance Outdoor Nationals, Dailey wasted no time making her presence felt. In the Middle School Girls’ 100m prelims, she clocked an astonishing 11.39 seconds with a legal +1.6 m/s wind, obliterating the meet record of 11.87 and smashing the 13-year-old world best of 11.53 previously held by Melanie Doggett.
And she wasn’t done yet. In the final, Dailey stormed to an 11.35 seconds finish, wind-aided at +2.5 m/s.
Then, on June 22, she delivered another headline-worthy performance. In the Middle School Girls’ 200m final, Dailey cruised to an unbelievable 22.92 seconds (+1.7 m/s), a new world best for her age group.
Her time would have been good enough for second place in the High School Championship final and ranks third nationally among high school athletes. Her closest competitor, Mya Arrendall, finished nearly three-tenths of a second behind.
As the official HBCU Track and Field X (formerly Twitter) account put it:
“This is unreal!!!”
Not Just a Nationals Wonder
Even before this breakout, Dailey had track insiders buzzing. Just two weeks prior, she scorched a 51.67 in the 400m, another national middle school record.
And her rapid improvement in the 200m has been nothing short of stunning. From clocking 23.76 in January at the VA Showcase to 22.90 in May, her progression mirrors the trajectory of elite athletes twice her age.
As one fan wrote on X:
“22.9 at 13 years old is diabolical.”
In the span of just three weeks, Dailey has shattered records across 100m, 200m, and 400m, feats that would be remarkable for a seasoned high schooler, let alone a middle schooler.
It hasn’t taken long for the comparisons to legendary figures to start. Some fans are already speculating whether Dailey could follow the path of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who in 2016 became the youngest American track and field athlete to make the Olympic team since the 1980 boycott.
“Farther down the line but this girl ran an 11.3 100 and a 22.9 200 at 13 years old. Wild,” one fan posted.
“Early days but a dark horse to be a HS athlete on the 2028 US Olympic Team.”
The buzz isn’t just fan chatter. Coaches nationwide are reportedly paying close attention to Dailey’s meteoric rise, eager to play a part in developing what many believe could be the next American sprint queen.
While comparisons to FloJo might still be premature, after all, FloJo’s world records remain untouched for over three decade, what Camryn Dailey is accomplishing at just 13 is undeniably special.
