Survive and Advance: Highs and Lows from the USA Olympic Trials

Four days of fantastic track and field action have been completed at Eugene, Oregon’s Hayward Field, and the reason why the USA’s trials system is second to none has been on full display. While in some countries, the Olympic team is made by selection, the system that has been in place for Team USA on the track is (somewhat) simple: finish top-3 in your event and you are on the team (assuming you either have the Olympic Standard or the World Ranking).

This system has historically created compelling storylines, of underdogs having the meet of their life and earning a coveted spot on the team for the Olympics, in addition to the inevitable heartbreak of all-time greats just missing out, and potentially never making it to a Games in an otherwise illustrious career. The first half of the action from Eugene has only continued this quadrennial tradition.

Women’s Hammer Throw

The women’s hammer throw in the United States has been arguably one of the strongest in the world over the past five years, if not the strongest in the history of the event for the USA. Between Deanna Price, Brooke Andersen, and Janee Kassanavoid, Team USA has been represented on the podium at the past three World Championships. It would have been not unreasonable to believe that they would be the three representatives to Paris.

They each made it through the initial qualification round on day one with impressive marks, setting them up for the finals to take place on the third day of competition. Unfortunately, the trouble started early.

In perhaps the stunner of the Trials up to that point, Brooke Andersen, the 2022 World Championships gold medalist fouled on all three of her initial throws, taking her out of the competition. Kassanavoid nearly nearly did the same, however managed to get a legal throw to propel her to the final rounds.

While viewers were still stunned by the departure and near departure of Andersen and Kassanvoid, Annette Echikunwoke was sitting on an impressive 74.68m throw from the first round, achieving the Olympic Standard and putting her comfortably in first position just ahead of 2019 World Champion Deanna Price.

As the competition went through the final three rounds, Erin Reese would move third with a final throw of 71.21 meters, resulting in a USATF Championships bronze medal, with Annette and Deanna not ceding position to make the top-3. Kassanavoid would finish sixth, improving on her third round throw with a fifth round mark of 69.46m.

Of the top-3 finishers, Reese does not currently have the Olympic Standard (74m), so she will have the rely on world ranking to make the team for Paris, otherwise fourth place finisher Rachel Tanczos, who has the Standard, will be Paris-bound.

Men’s 100 Meters

This race was setting up to be an incredible clash:

• Noah Lyles being developed by NBC as the face of men’s USA track and field, and rightfully has a resume and showmanship to back it up
• Kenny Bednarek, who has quietly been one of the the best sprinters in the world and is the silver medalist in the 200m from the Tokyo Games and the 2022 World Championships
• Fred Kerley, the reigning world champion 2019 and 2022 world champion, who had recently gone through some public sponsorship changes and was yet to run sub-10 for the 100m on the year
• Christian Coleman, arguably the world’s best out of the blocks and the current 60m world champion

The problem: only three spots. Though these four men were each a favorite in their own right, someone was not going to be making the team.

Through the qualification and semifinal rounds, they would make it through with top-five times, with Courtney Lindsey right there with them. Now the final is upon us, and they get settled into the blocks.

As expected, Christian Coleman came out with his expected explosiveness, and held a lead through the first 80 meters before being caught and passed by Lyles, Bednarek, and Kerley for the podium. They were separated by one tenth of a second. As Lyles celebrated the victory, Coleman sat with Brandon Hicklin in apparent disbelief at the rail.

Women’s 800 Meters

If there was a favorite coming in to any event at these Trials, Athing Mu would have been on everyone’s short list. She is the reigning Olympic Champion, 2022 World Championships gold medalist, and 2023 World Championships bronze medalist. Though we had not seen Mu race since the 2023 Pre Classic (where she set an incredibly American Record in the 800m), it would not be a stretch to suggest she was the favorite. Additionally, Ajee’ Wilson, two-time Olympian and one of the most decorated middle distance runners in USA history, and Raevyn Rogers, Tokyo bronze medalist, were ready to stake their claim to the team for Paris.

Through the qualification heats, Athing, Ajee’, and Raevyn would race to solid qualifying marks to advance to the semifinals, each achieving a ‘Big Q’. In the semifinals, however, Wilson would finish behind Rogers and Sage Hurta-Klecker for an automatic qualifying spot for the final. She would have to rely on time, and unfortunately being in the slowest of the three heats, her 2:01.25 would put her just over a half second off from the time qualifiers, and she would miss the final and a chance at a third Olympics.

In these early rounds, we were also seeing impressive running from LSU’s Michaela Rose, who would immediately bring the races to a blistering pace, Kate Grace, who returned to the track this year after taking a two-plus year hiatus to start a family, Nia Akins, who would finish first in both rounds, and Juliette Whittaker, coming in to the Trials as a freshly minted NCAA Champion in the event, and Allie Wilson, who has been steadily racing and putting up impressive marks since the indoor season (including the 800m Indoor Championship and a fourth place finish at Worlds).

I would be remiss not to mention the incredible finish from Kate Grace in the semifinal round. In an attempt to grab one of the top-two spots from Rose, Grace would fall at the finish and come away with some track-rash for her efforts.

It could be anyone’s race, but all eyes were on Mu, whose seemingly effortless style was mesmerizing, and everyone already envisioning a 2023 World Championships podium rematch between her, Mary Moraa, and Keely Hodgkinson.

In an entirely unexpected turn of events, as the field of runners came together from their starting positions, the unthinkable happened: Athing Mu got tangled up and fell. Shortly after Rogers and Hurta-Klecker avoided the collision, Mu would get back to her feet, but her distance from the field would be too great to overcome. Admittedly, I was holding out hope for a Dorniden-esque comeback.

As the lead pack continued around the track, Akins was determined to not leave anything to chance. She was absolutely on a mission, unrelenting in position and showcasing incredibly grittiness. As the women progressed through the final turn, Akins meters ahead, Wilson and Whittaker would catch up to and pass Rose for the podium, each achieving the Olympic Standard and punching their tickets to Paris, all first-time Olympians.

What other shockers (highs and lows) have bubbled up for you at these Olympic Trials?