Track and field athletes from across the country are gathering in Eugene, Oregon, affectionately known as America's “Track Town,” to take part in the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials, which begin Friday and run through June 30.
All athletes competing at Hayward Field are aiming to earn a spot in the Paris Olympics in 2024. The top three athletes will advance to the Paris Olympics.
The U.S. track and field team is one of the most difficult to get into in the world, and USA TODAY Sports profiles some athletes to watch at the selection meetings in Eugene.
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Noah Lyles
Events: 100, 200
Lyles makes no secret of his desire to be the face of track and field.
“Whatever I do, I want to give it my all,” Lyles told USA Today Sports. “As much as I want to be the best in track and field, I also want to be the most recognized athlete in track and field.”
Lyles will need to do well at the Olympics to establish himself as the face of men's track and field, but the first step is to make this year's U.S. Olympic team. Lyles is the overwhelming favorite to win the 200 meters and is one of the favorites to win the 100 meters, along with Christian Coleman and Fred Curley.
Lyles is the current world champion in the 100 and 200 meters. His personal best time in the 200 meters is 19.31, which is an American record. His best time in the 100 meters is 9.83.
Sydney McLaughlin Levrone
Event: 400 Hurdles
McLaughlin-Levrone, the most decorated female athlete in track and field, is the reigning Olympic champion and world record holder in the 400m hurdles with a stunning time of 50.68 seconds – she is the only woman ever to run the event in under 51 seconds.
McLaughlin-Levrone qualified to compete in the 200m, 400m and 400m hurdles at the Olympic Trials but chose to focus on her best events.
“The 400-meter hurdles is my bread and butter. It's what I'm best at,” McLaughlin-Levrone said. “I'm going to stick to one event and try to do my best in it.”
While McLoughlin-Levrone may have multiple event aspirations in the future, her decision to focus solely on the 400m hurdles is bad news for other athletes.
Shakari Richardson
Events: 100, 200
Richardson made international news when he tested positive for THC at the last Olympic trials and was suspended for one month. Years later, he declared that he was “not back in action, he was in recovery.”
Richardson is fresh off winning a world championship title in the 100m and a bronze medal in the 200m, and her strong 2023 form is carrying over into this season.
Richardson won the 100 meters at the Prefontaine Classic last month against a strong women's team, and her season-best time of 10.83 seconds is the third-best time in the world this year.
The 24-year-old sprinter is competing in her first Olympic Games and is the favourite to win gold in the 100 metres, but will have to hold off the likes of Aleia Hobbs, Jaycious Sears and Mackenzie Long.
Gabby Thomas has the top-seeded time in the 200 meters, but Richardson could also make the U.S. team in a second event.
Ryan Crowther
Event: Shot put
The most dominant male athlete, Crowther has established himself as the greatest shot putter of all time. Crowther's personal best of 77 feet, 3 3/4 inches is a world record. He holds the top four all-time shot put records.
Crowther is the favorite to win the gold medal in the men's shot put at the Olympic Trials. He has won gold medals at two consecutive Olympic Games. The 31-year-old Crowther could become the first shot putter in Olympic history to win gold medals at three consecutive Olympic Games.
Asing Moo
Event: 800
At the Tokyo Olympics, Mu became the first American woman to win Olympic gold in the 800 meters since Madeline Manning did so at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. Mu followed up her Olympic success with a win in the 800 meters at the 2022 World Championships. But the American middle-distance runner hasn't been as dominant since. She placed third at the 2023 World Championships and withdrew from last month's Prefontaine Classic because of a hamstring injury.
The 2024 season has been quiet, but all eyes will be on Mu in the 800 meters in Eugene. McLaughlin-Levrone, Richardson and Mu are the women's stars of U.S. track and field.
Mu's U.S. 800-meter qualifying time of 1 minute 54.97 seconds was nearly three seconds faster than the runner-up, and the U.S. record holder in the event is looking to reclaim her status as the world's top 800-meter runner.
Grant Holloway
Event: 110 Hurdles
Holloway has won three consecutive gold medals in the 110m hurdles at the world championships, but an Olympic gold medal is still in the cards. The U.S. hurdler is in the running to make the Olympic team after finishing second at the Tokyo Olympics.
Holloway enters the qualifying round with a season-best time of 13.03 seconds, the fastest time in the world this year. The 26-year-old Holloway is the only U.S. athlete to have broken 13 seconds at the Olympic Trials.
If Holloway clears all the hurdles cleanly, he'll be guaranteed a trip to Paris.
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