There are just days until the nine-day 2024 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials begin on Friday.
While there are plenty of fan favorites and Olympic hopefuls to talk about, there was another scenario worth pondering for us.
What if something happens far away?
Here are two what-if scenarios that would shake up some American teams at long and short distances.
2024 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials
If Christian Miller is selected for the 100m team, will that mean Curley, Lyles and Coleman are not selected?
Just two months ago, Christian Miller, the gifted sprinter from Creekside, Fla., broke the U.S. under-20 100-meter record with a wind-free time of 9.93 seconds.
In the weeks that followed, Miller beefed up his game by running the 200 meters in 20.15 seconds with the help of the wind. He's one of just 15 runners to have run the 100 meters in under 10 seconds this season, and he's ranked fifth in the world, ahead of such great American sprinters as Christian Coleman and Fred Curley.
The real question is whether Miller can stay calm in an unfamiliar environment: He'll not only be racing against seasoned pros, but also some of the fastest men in the world.
It won't be easy for Miller as he will have to go head-to-head with some strong contenders if he wants to make history.
First of all, Noah Lyles.
A six-time world champion, American record holder and defending world champion in both the 100 and 200 meters, Lyles has made it clear he is aiming for an Olympic double. His only 200-meter time this year was 19.77 seconds, good enough for fourth-best in the world.
His time of 9.85 seconds in the 100 meters puts him in third place heading into the preliminaries.
Coleman and Curley have each won a world title, with Curley winning in 2022 and Coleman in 2019. Not to mention, Kenny Bednarek, Ronnie Baker and Kendall Williams have also had strong results and are ranked high in the world.
But if Miller joins the team with Lyles, there just won't be enough spots for them.
If Miller makes it through the rounds without a shake-up, he will knock at least one of the three defending champions off the Olympic podium.
What if Parker Valby's good form continues, she hits both Olympic standards and is selected for both the 10,000m and 5,000m teams?
During his final collegiate season with the Florida Gators, Parker Valby won an unprecedented five national titles on both turf and track, while also setting three NCAA records in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters indoors and outdoors.
She's proven herself to be the best runner in the NCAA and possibly the best of all time, but how does she compare to the U.S. women's long-distance field?
Unfortunately, Alicia Monson, the American record holder in both the 10km and 5km, will miss the remainder of the season due to meniscus surgery.
Even without Monson, the women vying for the six spots are loaded with talent. Elise Clunie is the defending champion in both events and recently ran 14:46.49 at the Portland Track Festival, her best time since 2022. She has yet to run the 10,000 meters, but her ability to control the race could put her in a position to claim another U.S. title.
Add in the return of Elle St-Pierre (14:34.12) and some experienced veterans including Weini Kelati (14:35.43), Josette Andrews (14:46.51) and Carisa Schweitzer (14:48.60) and you have a world-class field.
The worst part is that the 10,000m is just as tough. Kelati is the fastest U.S. woman this season, having run 30:33.82 at The Ten in March, but Valby is the only American to have broken 31 minutes this season. Ellie Henesse and Natosha Rogers have qualifying times of 30:48.26 and 30:48.69, respectively.
Honestly, this is entirely possible given how consistently good Valby was last year, but to come out on top of the two strong field, Valby would have to sprint all 37.5 laps. She's the sixth-fastest American in the 5,000m, with her personal best just a few seconds out of the top three. And, for good measure, she'd like to run the Olympic standards in both events, better than 14:52 and 30:40 for 5k and 10k, respectively.
That being said, she could potentially qualify if she finishes in the top three in the world rankings at the end.
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