In the final strides, Felix uncharacterstically grimaced as she tried to close the gap on Prandini for third place and the last spot on the Olympic team (video here).
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The top three, Dalilah Muhammad (52.88), Ashley Spencer (54.02) and 16-year old Sydney McLaughlin (54.15) will represent the United States at the 31st Olympiad.
“But then when I look back and think about that everything that’s happened I still think it’s pretty wonderful”, she added. He was disqualified, however, in his first race in Beijing, which has served as added motivation to make it back to the world stage in this Olympic year with a winning performance in the U.S. Trials. After landing awkwardly on an exercise ball while doing core work, she rolled her right ankle.
In addition to Prandini, Tori Bowie will be a threat to Felix, along with Oregon Duck Deajah Stevens and 19-year-old Ariana Washington, the Oregon runner who captured the 200 title at NCAA championships last month.
“I don’t know what happened”, Prandini said. “But it got the job done”. After the fall and her recovery, Efraimson’s time of 4:14.4 was still better than the runners in the other two heats.
“I was just determined to win today and make it to Rio”, Muhammad said afterward. That injury affected her 200m more than her 400m. So while the Hernando native finished tied for sixth in the final of the Olympic Trials, he will still be in Rio with victor Erik Kynard and third place finisher Bradley Adkins. Hinds Community College alumnus Ricky Babineaux missed out on the Olympics by one spot, finishing in fourth.
“The team that selected itself at the 2016 Olympic Trials combines stars who are established as the best in the world with a new generation of exciting talent”, said USATF CEO Max Siegel.
Webster city native and former world champion Jenny Simpson finished in first place in the women’s 1,500 Sunday with a time of 4 minutes, 4.74 seconds. Incidentally, that’s the same height that she cleared to win gold in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
An injured Felix previously made the Olympic team by winning the 400m in the fastest time in the world for the year seven days earlier.
“I definitely had a moment where I didn’t think I could do it, and [my coaches] told me “You’re getting on the line and running this race”.
The 15 Ducks earning a spot in the Olympics this year is a higher total than the past three Olympics combined. Weeks had a clean sheet through 4.65m (15-3) and one clearance of 4.70m (15-5) would send her through to Rio.
“Honestly disappointed, you know?” she said.
QUOTABLE: “When I give all I have and run 22.5, it’s just not there”.
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►Erik Kynard, who claimed a silver medal at the 2012 Olympics in London, will have a chance to upgrade that in Rio next month.
