What You May Have Missed From The U.S. Olympic Track Trials: NPR

EUGENE, Ore. — Olympic athletes were born and a world record was broken. The U.S. Olympic track and field team is finalized after a 10-day meet at Hayward Field. It offered a taste of the feats to come when the Paris Games start in less than a month.

Here are some of the highlights from the Olympic trials that concluded on Sunday.

Stars to follow in Paris

Sydney McLaughlin-LevroneThe biggest competition is itself. It On Sunday, she broke her own world record in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 50.65 seconds. That’s just below her time of 50.68 set two years ago on the same track.

After crossing the finish line, his face expressed surprise.

“I was a little shocked that it didn’t happen with the best stride pattern,” she told reporters after her feat. “But I’m still grateful to know that the fitness is there and we can work on other things.”

She will aim to raise the bar again at the Paris Games.

“I would like to go below 50 [seconds] at some point,” she said. “There’s something really exciting about trying to figure out how to improve the story, you know, in whatever capacity.”

The 24-year-old began her Olympic journey in Rio eight years ago and in Tokyo she won a gold medal in the 400 metres hurdles and another in the 4×400 metres team.

Representing the United States as an Olympian never gets old, she said.

“It’s like reliving that childhood dream over and over again. I don’t take it for granted. »

Sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson came to Hayward with a lot to prove. She was banned from competing at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for THC. She attributed her marijuana use to her mother’s recent death and the pressures she was under to perform: “I’m human,” she said on social media at the time.

And prove it, she did it. In Eugene, his 100-meter race secured his spot on the U.S. team. His attempt to make the 200 meters his second event, however, failed after finishing fourth.

It was Gabby Thomas, Brittany Brown And McKenzie Long in this order who dominated the 200 meters to earn their place at the Paris Games.

Gabby Thomas celebrates after winning the women’s 200-meter final with third-place finisher McKenzie Long at the U.S. Olympic track and field team trials Saturday in Eugene, Ore.

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Thomas won bronze in Tokyo in the 200-meter event and took silver with the 4×100-meter relay team. The new thing for her this time is that she will have an audience to encourage her.

“I’m a bit of an introvert, so I get easily distracted and overwhelmed by a lot of people, but hey, I think it’ll be fun,” she said after Saturday’s final.

But she also says she has always thrived under pressure – a skill she has honed since Tokyo.

“I take comfort in knowing that when I got to the finish line today, I thought, you know what, I proved to myself that I could do it,” she said.

Brown and Long, meanwhile, are heading to the Olympics for the first time. Long draws strength from his late mother, who died unexpectedly in February.

“Knowing that I’m an Olympic athlete now is surreal,” she told reporters after the race. “And I know my mother is smiling brightly. »

Noah Lyles, Kenny Bednarek And Fred Kerley all qualified for the United States in the 100 meters. Lyles leads the pack so far in speed and personality; the 26-year-old seized the spotlight to share his love for anime by releasing a growing sequel to Yu-Gi-Oh! exchange cards of their color after each round.

Lyles will do a double in Paris: he also won the 200 meters final during the selections. But he doesn’t plan to celebrate fully until he wins gold.

“It’s all good, great, I’ve done the job, I’m excited about it, let’s keep going, let’s keep pushing,” he told reporters.

Noah Lyles celebrates after winning the men’s 200-meter final at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials on Saturday in Eugene, Ore.

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At the 110 hurdles, Grant Holloway, Daniel Roberts And Freddie Crittenden This is the first time that three men have crossed the finish line in the 110 meter hurdles in less than 13 seconds.

There is already talk among the trio of an Olympic podium.

“I mean, we’ve said it before,” Holloway told reporters after posting his second-fastest time ever in Saturday’s finale. “I think, for me, we’re exactly where we need to be.”

The stylish shot put specialist Raven Saunders donned what they described as Day of the Dead masks when they appeared at trial.

“It’s a way to show people that I’m back, that I never left,” Saunders, who identifies with they/they pronouns, said after finishing second.

A fan favorite in Tokyo, the Olympic silver medalist was suspended last year after failing to appear for a few drug tests.

Saunders took advantage of the enforced break to focus on himself.

“I definitely took more time to get to work, more time to just focus on building this Olympic team, more time to focus on my mental health,” they said.

Chase Jacksona shot putter known for wearing elaborate eye makeup on the field and for sharing her love of cartoons with Lyles, placed first ahead of Saunders. This is the first time she has been part of an Olympic team.

Chase Jackson competes in the women’s shot put final at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Team Trials Saturday in Eugene, Oregon.

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A big break

Saturday evening, Weini Kelati She sprinted down the track in the final stretch of the women’s 10,000-meter race, taking the lead, losing it and then regaining the lead one final time to win.

“I had to stay patient, because I knew I had that speed, I had that kick, because I had worked for it,” Kelati said, speaking to reporters after her victory.

This is the final chapter in the incredible journey of this 27-year-old young woman. In 2014, Kelati was on this same track competing to represent his native country of Eritrea, an East African country. During the international competition, Kelati requested asylum, fleeing political unrest in her country. As a teenager at the time, she moved to the United States as a refugee, leaving family and friends behind. Ten years later, Kelati’s victory confirmed his place on the U.S. team for the Summer Olympics.

Weini Kelati celebrates after winning the women’s 10,000 meter final at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Team Trials Saturday in Eugene, Oregon.

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“It’s crazy, I’ll take care of it soon,” she said. “Right now I can’t believe it. I’m speechless.”

Kelati says she is proud to compete for her adopted country, but her family in Eritrea will also be cheering her on.

“They watch me. Every time I run, everywhere I go, they follow me, they watch my run,” she said.

A sadness

A fall in a single race costs Athing Mu her bid for the Olympics. A quarter of the way through the 800 meters, the reigning gold medalist tripped and fell, ending her chances of making the U.S. team. Nia Akins won with a personal best time of 1:57.36.

Athing Mu wins a heat in the women’s 800-meter semifinal as Kate Grace and Michaela Rose compete in the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Team Trials Sunday in Eugene, Oregon.

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“It’s hard to see, especially for someone like Athing, who as you know could win a gold medal,” 400-metre hurdler Rai Benjamin told NBC on the sidelines Monday. “You feel for her, because she’s supposed to be there, you know? But that’s just USA Track and Field. It’s the toughest team to build and anything can happen here.”

NPR’s Brian Mann contributed to this story.