Current:Home > NewsUS Olympic track and field trials: 6 athletes to watch include Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone -Wealthify
US Olympic track and field trials: 6 athletes to watch include Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone
View
Date:2025-04-18 02:36:35
Track and field athletes from around the country will convene in Eugene, Oregon, a place affectionately known as Track Town, USA for the U.S. Olympic track and field trials that begin Friday and conclude June 30.
The athletes competing at Hayward Field are all attempting to stamp their ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics. The top three finishers will advance to the Paris Olympics.
The U.S. track and field team is one of the toughest rosters to make in the world. USA TODAY Sports identifies the athletes to watch throughout the trials in Eugene.
Noah Lyles
Events: 100, 200
Lyles isn’t shy about his desire to be the face of track and field.
“Anything I do, I want to do to the best of my ability,” Lyles said to USA TODAY Sports. “Just as much as I want to be the best at track and field, I also want to be the most recognized athlete in track and field.”
In order for Lyles to stake his claim as the face of men’s track and field, he has to come up golden at the Olympics. But the first order of business is for Lyles to make this year’s U.S. Olympic team. Lyles is the prohibitive favorite in the 200 meters and among the top contenders in the 100, along with Christian Coleman and Fred Kerley.
Lyles is the reigning world champion in the 100 and 200 meters. His personal-best time of 19.31 in the 200 is an American record. His top time in the 100 is 9.83.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone
Event: 400 hurdles
The most decorated track and field athlete on the women’s side, McLaughlin-Levrone is the reigning Olympic champion in the 400-meter hurdles and the world-record holder, with an impressive time of 50.68. She’s the only woman in history to run sub-51 in the event.
McLaughlin-Levrone qualified to run in the 200, 400 and 400-meter hurdles at the Olympic trials, but she opted to focus on her best event.
“The 400 hurdles is my bread and butter. That’s what I’m most comfortable with,” McLaughlin-Levrone said. “Stick to one event and try to do it the best I can.”
McLaughlin-Levrone might flirt with the idea of running in multiple events in the future, but her decision to put her attention solely on the 400-meter hurdles is bad news for the other competitors.
Sha'Carri Richardson
Events: 100, 200
Richardson made international news in the aftermath of the previous Olympic trials due to a one-month suspension after testing positive for THC. A few years later, Richardson proclaim, “I’m not back, I’m better.”
Richardson is coming off a world championship title in the 100 and a bronze medal in the 200. Her strong 2023 has carried over into this season.
Richardson beat a strong group of women in the 100 at the Prefontaine Classic last month. Her season-best of 10.83 is the third fastest time in the world this year.
The 24-year-old sprinter is vying for her first Olympics. She is the gold-medal favorite in the 100, but will have to hold off the likes of Aleia Hobbs, Jacious Sears and McKenzie Long.
Gabby Thomas has the top-seeded time in the 200, but Richardson could also make the U.S. squad in her secondary event.
Ryan Crouser
Event: Shot put
The most dominant athlete on the men’s side, Crouser staked claim as the best shot putter of all time. Crouser’s personal-best of 77 feet, 3¾ inches is the world record. He owns the top four shot put marks ever.
Crouser is the heavy favorite to win gold in the men’s shot put at the Olympic trials. He’s won gold at two consecutive Olympics. The 31-year-old could became the first shot putter in Olympic history to win gold at three straight Olympics.
Athing Mu
Event: 800
At the Toyko Olympics, Mu became the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in the 800 since Madeline Manning did it at the 1968 Mexico City games. Mu then followed up her Olympic performance by winning a world championship title in the 800 in 2022. However, the American middle-distance runner hasn’t been as dominant since then. She placed third at the 2023 world championships and scratched out of last month’s Prefontaine Classic due to a sore hamstring.
Despite a quiet 2024 campaign, all eyes will be on Mu when she runs the 800 in Eugene. McLaughlin-Levrone, Richardson and Mu are the stars of U.S. track and field on the women’s side.
Mu’s U.S. trials 800 qualifying time of 1:54.97 is nearly three seconds better than the next best competitor. The American-record holder in the event looks to reclaim her status as the top 800-meter runner in the world.
Grant Holloway
Event: 110 hurdles
Holloway’s won three straight world championship gold medals in the 110-meter hurdles, but he’s still chasing an Olympic gold medal. The U.S. hurdler is looking to make the Olympic team after finishing second at the Tokyo Games.
Holloway enters the trials with a season-best time of 13.03, which is the top time in the world this year. The 26-year-old has the only entry under 13 seconds at the U.S. Olympic trials.
If Holloway clears all the hurdles cleanly, he’ll likely be on his way to Paris.
Follow USA TODAY Sports' Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.
veryGood! (7577)
Related
- The Louvre will be renovated and the 'Mona Lisa' will have her own room
- 3 common thinking traps and how to avoid them, according to a Yale psychologist
- Today’s Climate: June 15, 2010
- The first abortion ban passed after Roe takes effect Thursday in Indiana
- Federal court filings allege official committed perjury in lawsuit tied to Louisiana grain terminal
- Polar Bears Wearing Cameras and Fitbits Reveal an Arctic Struggle for Survival
- Apple unveils new iOS 17 features: Here's what users can expect
- Priyanka Chopra Shares the One Thing She Never Wants to Miss in Daughter Malti’s Daily Routine
- As Trump Enters Office, a Ripe Oil and Gas Target Appears: An Alabama National Forest
- Flu is expected to flare up in U.S. this winter, raising fears of a 'twindemic'
Ranking
- Brianna LaPaglia Reveals The Meaning Behind Her "Chickenfry" Nickname
- Family Dollar recalls Colgate products that were improperly stored
- Unique Hazards of Tar Sands Oil Spills Confirmed by National Academies of Sciences
- Montana health officials call for more oversight of nonprofit hospitals
- From family road trips to travel woes: Americans are navigating skyrocketing holiday costs
- All the Ways Queen Elizabeth II Was Honored During King Charles III's Coronation
- Ag’s Climate Challenge: Grow 50% More Food Without More Land or Emissions
- Bernie Sanders’ Climate Plan: Huge Emissions Cuts, Emphasis on Environmental Justice
Recommendation
Highlights from Trump’s interview with Time magazine
The first abortion ban passed after Roe takes effect Thursday in Indiana
Here’s How You Can Get $120 Worth of Olaplex Hair Products for Just $47
What are your chances of catching monkeypox?
Who are the most valuable sports franchises? Forbes releases new list of top 50 teams
Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes’ Latest Reunion Will Have You Saying My Oh My
How to show your friends you love them, according to a friendship expert
All the Ways Queen Elizabeth II Was Honored During King Charles III's Coronation