Felix’s run at the 200-400 Olympic double, made possible after Olympics officials honored her request for a chance to run both races, came to an earlier-than-expected end Sunday.
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A late lean by the world 400 metres champion was not enough for Felix as she missed qualifying for Rio by one-hundredth of a second by finishing fourth in 22.54 seconds. “I’m just 16, so if I don’t make the Olympic Team I can come back in 4 years and try again”.
Felix, who won the 400 last week, finished fourth in the 200 on Sunday in the U.S. Olympic trials in Eugene, Ore.
Bowie, who led throughout the final straight, finished in 22.25 seconds; Daejah Stevens (22.30) closed fast in the final 50, and Prandini (22.53) held off Allyson Felix (22.54), who was closing hard.
“If everything is on the up and up and the people who know more than I do say, ‘Yeah, she’s in, ‘ she’s in”. “But it got the job done”.
Molly Huddle finished well ahead of the pack to win the 5,000 meters.
Besides, after what she and the rest of the five-woman team endured over the weekend, what awaits in Rio doesn’t seem so tough. Prandini edged Felix for third place. “Just realizing sometimes you have to lose in order to get better, it’s a big thing for me”. “It felt like a really long time”, Prandini said. “I knew that Allyson was coming, but I just wanted to get to that finish line and do whatever it took to get on this team”.
McLaughlin, 16, revealed she had been overcome with nerves after arriving at the US Olympic trials to compete in the 400-meter hurdles, at one point fearing she would not be able to cope with the pressure. It isn’t inconceivable that she and her teammates could sweep the medals in that event in Rio.
NJ.com dished in a separate report that Sydney McLaughlin, the fast-rising track & field star, is turning 17 years old on August 7, two days after the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro opens. Runnerup Robby Andrews and third-place finisher Ben Blankenship also are headed to Rio.
That means no Rio trip for London 2012 silver medallist Leo Manzano, who was fourth in 3:36.62.
“This award just tops it all off”, McLaughlin said, noting her high school track season began on a rough note when she was diagnosed with mononucleosis and her mother later had a heart attack. Her brother, Taylor McLaughlin, competed to make the U.S. Olympic team but had to withdraw in the semi-finals after an injury.
►Johnny Dutch dominated for 340 meters in the 400 hurdles, but he faded after clearing the final hurdle as Kerron Clement (48.50), Bryon Robinson (48.79) and Michael Tinsley (48.82) sprinted past.
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McCorory has a string of four consecutive 4×400 medals won at either the Olympic Games or outdoor world championships, starting with golds at the 2011 worlds and the London 2012 Olympic Games, then silvers at the 2013 and 2015 world championships.
