JUMP, JUMP: 2012 Olympic silver medalist Erik Kynard looked sharp in high jump qualifying.
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Only the top three finishers in each event at the cut-throat trials earned qualification for the Olympics. Hellena Wrappah represented Ghana in the 200 meters at the 2000 Olympics, while Ganna Demydova competed in the triple jump in 2012 for Ukraine.
Allyson Felix had the star power to change the Olympic schedule.
McLaughlin finished third in the 400-meter hurdles in 54.15, breaking a decade-old world junior record.
Matthew Centrowitz, who made his second Olympic team with a victory in the 1,500 meters. Heather Miller-Koch moved up into second place with her PB of 6423 points after an 800m win in 2:09.97, while NCAA champion Kendell Williams also ran an 800m PB of 2:15.31 to set 6402 points and finish third for the final Rio place.
IF THE SHOE FITS: Kim Conley saw her first attempt at making the Olympics spoiled when her shoe came off in the 10,000 meters.
On Sunday, the 16-year-old became the youngest Olympian to make the USA track and field team since 1980.
But in the 200, it takes a more aggressive lean into the curve at the opening of the race – just the sort of “speed work” Felix didn’t get enough of during her slow comeback.
Felix, who has four gold and two silver medals from three Games, having made her debut in Athens in 2004, was able to temper her disappointment with the knowledge the injury has not prevented her from securing a place at what will be her fourth successive Olympics. Leonel Manzano, the silver medalist in the London Olympics, finished fourth and did not make the team.
It was Stepter’s first Olympic trials. She’s now in Los Angeles for Tuesday’s Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year ceremony, where she has a very good chance at being named the National High School Female Athlete of the Year.
“It’s like a dream come true, coming to the Olympic trails and leaving being the champion”, she said.
On the same track (Hayward Field at the University of Oregon) one year ago, Ash qualified in the 110-meter hurdles for the IAAF (International Association of Athletic Federations) World Championships in Beijing. They are U.S. Trials champion Dalilah Muhammad (52.88), Janieve Russell of Jamaica (53.96), and Trials runner-up Ashley Spencer (54.02). That beats her best-of-the-day qualifying time of 4:10.09 on Friday and her eight overall qualifying time of 4:17.31 on Thursday.
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“It was close, definitely, and that’s always going to be in the back of my mind”, Douglas said. Morris cleared 15-7 while Weeks topped out at 15-5. The other individual world record-holders are Suhr, who holds the world indoor pole vault record, and 400m hurdler Kerron Clement, who holds the world indoor 400m record.
