After an eventful 10 days of track and field trials, most of Team USA’s roster is set for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The athletes still waiting to find out whether they will be making the trip will know no later than July 8.
Noah Lyles is one of the biggest headliners as he will be going for the Olympic sprint double following wins in the 100m and 200m events in Oregon.
Lyles competed in the 2020 Tokyo Games and won bronze in the 200m, but said that was not his best performance because he had been struggling with his mental health ahead of the competition. This time around, Lyles is feeling confident and has a goal of winning gold medals in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay and potentially the 4x400m relay, if he gets a chance.
On the women’s side, Sha’Carri Richardson will officially be making her Olympic debut after crushing the 100m trial race with the fastest women’s time this season. While Richardson found success most of the week, she fell short of qualifying for the sprint double by finishing fourth in the 200m.
Meanwhile, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone set another world record in the 400m hurdles at 50.65 seconds. She won the gold medal at the event in Tokyo and will once again be the favorite in Paris.
Here are the highlights from the U.S. track and field trials:
Paris to feature new champions in women’s events
One of the most interesting outcomes of the past few weeks is that none of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics champs from the women’s 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m events qualified to defend their titles in Paris.
Jamaican sprinter Elaine Thompson-Herah has won gold in the 100m and 200m events in the last two Olympics, but she will not be able to keep that streak going because of a small tear to her Achilles tendon.
Shaunae Miller-Uibo from the Bahamas was going for a hat trick in the 400m event, but she is also dealing with injury.
Meanwhile, United States athlete Athing Mu arrived to Oregon as one of the favorites as she won gold in the 2020 Tokyo Games and the world championship in 2022. However, she got tangled up with other competitors and fell in the middle of the 800m trial race. Her team submitted an appeal to compete in the Olympics anyway, but it was denied.
Sha’Carri Richardson misses out on sprint double
The trials were a rollercoaster of emotions for Richardson. She tripped at the beginning of her 100m trial heat because her shoelace became untied, but she still prevailed in that race and eventually won the 100m final with a time of 10.71 seconds — the fastest time of the year.
A week later, Richardson dominated her first two heats in the 200m. However, she finished fourth in the final with a time of 22.16 seconds and did not earn a second individual berth.
Nevertheless, Richardson can celebrate the fact that she will finally be making her Olympic debut. She had been disqualified from the Tokyo Games for testing positive for marijuana, but now she is considered one of the favorites to win the 100m event in Paris.
Gabby Thomas, the reigning Olympic bronze medalist, won the 200m race this past weekend with a time of 21.81 seconds. She qualified along with Brittany Brown and McKenzie Long.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone sets hurdles world record again
McLaughlin-Levrone broke the 400m hurdles record for the fifth time in her career during trials. She cleared all 10 barriers and easily punched her ticket to Paris with a time of 50.65 seconds, which was .03 seconds better her time at the 2022 world championships. McLaughlin-Levrone is the only woman in the history of the 400m hurdles to run sub-51 seconds.
Her time at the trials was by 1.99 seconds faster than second-place finisher Anna Cockrell and 2.12 seconds better than third-place finisher Jasmine Jones.
Noah Lyles one step closer to Olympic sprint double
The three-time world champion will be chasing an Olympic sprint double after winning both the 100m and 200m events in Oregon. He won the 200m race with a world-leading time of 19.53 seconds, which also broke a 28-year-old U.S. Olympic trials record.
“Kung Fu” Kenny Bednarek will be another sprinter to watch in Paris. He won the 200m silver medal in Tokyo and set a new personal best of 19.59 seconds when finishing second behind Lyles this past weekend. He also finished second in the 100m event.
“I’m on his case right there,” Bednarek said of Lyles. “And I showed the world I’ve got a lot more in me and I’ve got more in the tank.”
Quincy Wilson, 16, punches Olympic ticket
Wilson finished sixth in men’s 400m final, but his three sub-45-second performances in three rounds earned him a spot in the relay pool to compete with Team USA in the 4x400m and 4x400m mixed relay teams in Paris. On his way to making history, Wilson broke the under-18 world record twice while competing in Oregon.
He will become the youngest track and field man to ever compete in the Olympics, historian Bill Mallon told CBS News.
Team USA track and field trials results, qualifiers:
Some athletes are still awaiting their fate because although they might have finished in the top three of their respective events, they may yet to have the Olympic qualifying standard or a high enough world ranking
*Bold indicates the athlete has officially qualified for the Paris Olympics
Women’s 100m
1. Sha’Carri Richardson — 10.71
2. Melissa Jefferson — 10.80
3. TeeTee Terry — 10.89
Women’s 200m
1. Gabby Thomas — 21.81
2. Brittany Brown — 21.90
3. McKenzie Long — 21.91
Women’s 400m
1. Kendall Ellis — 49.46
2. Aaliyah Butler — 49.71
3. Alexis Holmes — 49.78
Women’s 800m
1. Nia Akins — 1:57.36
2. Allie Wilson — 1:58.32
3. Juliette Whittaker — 1:58.45
Women’s 1500m
1. Nikki Hiltz — 3:55.33
2. Emily Mackay — 3:55.90
3. Elle St. Pierre — 3:55.99
Women’s 3000m steeplechase
1. Val Constien — 9:03.22
2. Courtney Wayment — 9:06.50
3. Marisa Howard — 9:07.14
Women’s 5000m
1. Elle St. Pierre — 14:40.34
2. Elise Cranny — 14:40.36
3. Karissa Schweizer — 14:45.12
Women’s 10,000m
1. Weini Kelati — 31:41.07
2. Parker Valby — 31:41.553 (currently doesn’t have world ranking)
3. Karissa Schweizer — 31:41.557 (currently doesn’t have world ranking)
13. Katie Izzo (currently has world ranking)
Women’s 100m hurdles
1. Masai Russell — 12.25
2. Alaysha Johnson — 12.302
3. Grace Stark — 12.309
Women’s 400m hurdles
1. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone — 50.65 World Record
2. Anna Cockrell — 52.64
3. Jasmine Jones — 52.77
Women’s 20km race walk
1. Robyn Stevens — 1:37:38 (does not have standard or world ranking)
2. Miranda Melville — 1:39:38 (does not have standard or world ranking)
3. Michelle Rohl — 1:42:27 (does not have standard or world ranking)
Women’s discus ***
1. Valarie Allman — 70.73
2. Jayden Ulrich — 62.63 (currently has world ranking)
3. Veronica Fraley — 62.54
Women’s hammer throw ***
1. Annette Echikunwoke — 74.68 meters
2. DeAnna Price — 74.52
3. Erin Reese — 71.21 (currently has world ranking)
Women’s heptathlon
1. Anna Hall — 6,614 points
2. Chari Hawkins — 6,456 (currently has world ranking)
3. Taliyah Brooks — 6,408 (currently has world ranking)
Women’s high jump
1. Charity Hufnagel — 1.94 meters (does not have standard or world ranking)
2. Rachel Glenn — 1.94
3. Vashti Cunningham — 1.91
Women’s javelin
1. Maggie Malone Hardin — 64.58 meters
2. Kara Winger — 62.94 (does not have standard or world ranking)
3. Madison Wiltrout — 61.17 (does not have standard or world ranking)
Women’s long jump
1. Tara Davis-Woodhall — 7.00 meters
2. Jasmine Moore — 6.98
3. Monae’ Nichols — 6.86
Women’s pole vault
1. Bridget Williams — 4.73 meters
2. Katie Moon — 4.73
3. Brynn King — 4.73
Women’s shot put
1. Chase Jackson — 20.10
2. Raven Saunders — 19.90
3. Jaida Ross — 19.60
Women’s triple jump
1. Jasmine Moore — 14.26 meters (currently has world ranking)
2. Keturah Orji — 14.22 (currently has world ranking)
3. Tori Franklin — 13.72 (currently has world ranking)
Men’s 100m
1. Noah Lyles — 9.83
2. Kenny Bednarek — 9.87
3. Fred Kerley — 9.88
Men’s 200m
1. Noah Lyles — 19.53
2. Kenny Bednarek — 19.59
3. Erriyon Knighton — 19.77
Men’s 110m hurdles
1. Grant Holloway — 12.86
2. Freddie Crittenden — 12.93
3. Daniel Roberts — 12.96
Men’s 400m
1. Quincy Hall — 44.17
2. Michael Norman — 44.41
3. Chris Bailey — 44.42
Men’s 800m
1. Bryce Hoppel — 1:42.77
2. Hobbs Kessler — 1:43.64
3. Brandon Miller — 1:43.97
Men’s 1500m
1. Cole Hocker — 3:30.59
2. Yared Nuguse — 3:30.86
3. Hobbs Kessler — 3:31.53
Mens 5000m
1. Grant Fisher — 13:08.85
2. Abdihamid Nur — 13:09.01
3. Parker Wolfe — 13:10.75 (currently doesn’t have world ranking)
4. Graham Blanks — 13:12.61 (has Olympic standard)
Men’s 10,000m
1. Grant Fisher — 27:49.47
2. Woody Kincaid — 27:50.74
3. Nico Young — 27:52.40
Men’s 400m hurdles
1. Rai Benjamin — 46.46
2. C.J. Allen — 47.81
3. Trevor Bassitt — 47.82
Men’s 3000m steeplechase
1. Kenneth Rooks — 8:21.92 (currently has world ranking)
2. Matthew Wilkinson — 8:23.00 (currently has world ranking)
3. James Corrigan — 8:26.78 (has Olympic standard)
Men’s 20km race walk
1. Nick Christie — 1:24:46 (does not have standard or world ranking)
2. Emmanuel Corvera — 1:30:15 (does not have standard or world ranking)
3. Jordan Crawford — 1:30:52 (does not have standard or world ranking)
Men’s decathlon
1. Heath Baldwin — 8,625 points
2. Zach Ziemek — 8,516
3. Harrison Williams — 8,384
Men’s discus
1. Andrew Evans — 66.61 meters
2. Sam Mattis — 66.07 (currently has world ranking)
3. Joseph Brown — 65.79
Men’s hammer throw
1. Daniel Haugh — 79.51 meters
2. Rudy Winkler — 78.89
3. Justin Stafford — 77.07 (currently doesn’t have world ranking)
Men’s high jump
1. Shelby McEwen — 2.30 meters
2. Caleb Snowden — 2.27 (currently doesn’t have world ranking)
3. Tyus Wilson — 2.24 (currently doesn’t have world ranking)
4. JuVaughn Harrison — 2.24 (has Olympic standard)
Men’s javelin
1. Curtis Thompson — 83.04 meters (currently has world ranking)
2. Capers Williamson — 79.57 (currently doesn’t have world ranking)
3. Donavon Banks — 79.19 (currently doesn’t have world ranking)
Men’s long jump
1. Jeremiah Davis — 8.20 meters (currently has world ranking)
2. Malcolm Clemons — 8.18 (currently has world ranking)
3. Jarrion Lawson — 8.18 (currently has world ranking)
Men’s pole vault
1. Sam Kendricks — 5.92 meters
2. Chris Nilsen — 5.87
2. Jacob Wooten — 5.87
Men’s shot put
1. Ryan Crouser — 22.84 meters
2. Joe Kovacs — 22.43
3. Payton Otterdahl — 22.26
Men’s triple jump
1. Salif Mane — 17.52
2. Russell Robinson — 17.01 (currently doesn’t have world ranking)
3. Donald Scott — 16.87
