2022 USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships, as it happened: Day four - Lyles and Steiner claim 200m titles, Benjamin sets world lead

By Rory Jiwani
10 min|
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Picture by 2022 Getty Images

Noah Lyles edged out Erriyon Knighton by 0.02 before Abby Steiner improved her lifetime best in the women's 200m final. Athing Mu and Rai Benjamin were also among the victors on the final day in Eugene.

23:20 That's all folks

Just time to bring you up to date with the field event action in Eugene. Chase Ealey threw a world lead 20.51m in the second round to take the women's shot put. That was 18cm beyond the previous best this year by Canada's Sarah Mitton.

Ealey, who turns 28 just before the World Championships, won the Oslo Diamond League with a lifetime best of 20.13m earlier this month. But she eclipsed that mark twice today with a 20.19m in the final round.

Adelaide Aquilla was second with 19.45m ahead of Jessica Woodward who produced a personal best of 19.40m.

There will be no Worlds for Olympic silver medallist Raven 'Hulk' Saunders. Her season's best of 18.95m was only good enough for fourth place.

Shelby McEwen equalled his personal best with a second-time clearance of 2.33m to win the men's high jump and achieve the World Championship entry standard in the process.

JuVaughn Harrison - an Olympic finalist in both the high jump and long jump last year in Tokyo - was second with a season's best of 2.30m and will join McEwen in the team for Eugene.

In the men's javelin, Ethan Dabbs took victory with 81.29m ahead of Curtis Thompson (80.49m) and Marc Anthony Minichello (79.05m).

None of the three has the Eugene entry standard and the USATF will have to decide whether one of them, or Michael Shuey - who finished seventh but has achieved the entry standard - will represent Team USA next month.

And that's about it. Hope you've enjoyed the trials with some big names producing the goods in the stadium which will host the Worlds. The dates for your diary are 15-24 July 2022.

23:05 Daniel Roberts takes surprise 110m hurdles win after Holloway no-show

Having said he would race in the final, Grant Holloway decided that three races in the space of just over 24 hours was a bit much and opted not to take part.

That appeared to leave a straight clash between world leader Devon Allen and Trey Cunningham, but Daniel Roberts had other ideas.

Roberts clocked a season's best 13.03 to take victory ahead of Cunningham (13.08). Allen ran 13.09, as did Jamal Britt, but took third by just three-thousandths of a second (13.087 to 13.090).

They will join Holloway in what looks a very strong American high hurdles team for next month.

In the field, Donald Scott won the men's triple jump with a season's best 17.07m with two-time Olympic and world silver medallist Will Claye (16.93m) in second.

Chris Benard took third with 16.83m but he will have to wait and see if he makes the team based on world rankings having failed to achieve the Eugene entry standard.

Christian Taylor was fifth with 16.54m but is guaranteed a place in the field as the reigning world champion.

22:50 Abby Steiner, remember the name

She's gone even quicker in the final. After equalling her world lead time of 2022 in the semi-finals, Abby Steiner finished strongly to take the 200m final with a personal best of 21.77.

The 22-year-old University of Kentucky has announced herself as a genuine gold contender this week with a string of excellent performances.

Tamara Clark was only overhauled by Steiner in the last 30m and took a fine second in a lifetime best of 21.92. Jenna Prandini was third in a season's best of 22.01.

Olympic bronze medallist Gabby Thomas just scraped into the final and she will not be going to Worlds after trailing home in eighth place.

22:40 Noah Lyles defeats Erriyon Knighton in thrilling men's 200m final

The event certainly lived up to the billing.

Erriyon Knighton blasted out from lane four and ran a superb bend, but Noah Lyles was far from flustered. He stayed relaxed and fairly charged home over the last 50m to take the win by just two-hundredths of a second in 19.67.

So confident was the reigning world champion of closing the gap that he even had time to look across and point at his rival before the line.

It doesn't seem like Knighton was too impressed afterwards so this could be making of a somewhat heated rivalry.

Fred Kerley was third in 19.83 meaning he will double up after his 100m triumph, with Olympic silver medallist Kenny Bednarek taking fourth to make the team.

Lyles' brother Josephus just missed out in fifth despite a personal best of 19.93 as five men broke the 20-second barrier.

22:30 Athing Mu edges out Ajee Wilson in women's 800m

That was close... Olympic champion Athing Mu was pushed all the way by world indoor champion Ajee Wilson in the final of the women's 800m.

Wilson actually appeared to take the lead with 20m to go, but the 20-year-old rallied to get her head in front.

Just seven-hundredths separated the pair at the finish with Mu winning in 1:57.16.

Raevyn Rogers produced her customary late surge to take third in 1:57.96 and book her place in the team after her silver medal at the Doha 2019 World Championships and bronze behind Mu at Tokyo 2020.

22:20 Rai Benjamin scorches to world lead in 400m hurdles

With Karsten Warholm an injury doubt for the Worlds, Brazil's Alison dos Santos has been staking his claim for gold this season.

But Olympic silver medallist Rai Benjamin just laid down a marker for next month, clocking a world lead 47.04 to take victory at Hayward Field.

Trevor Bassitt was second in a personal best of 47.47 with Khallifah Rosser also running a lifetime best (47.65) to take the all-important third spot.

Just before that, Bryce Hoppel won the men's 800m in 1:44.60 with Jonah Koech producing a personal best of 1:44.74 to take second and achieve the World Championship entry standard.

Brandon Miller just held off Clayton Murphy for third to join Hoppel, Koech and reigning world champion Donavan Brazier in the American team.

Brazier won his heat here in Eugene but chose not to run in the semi-finals.

21:20 Grant Holloway quickest in 110m hurdles semis

Reigning world champion Grant Holloway clocked 13.03 in the first semi-final to ease through to the final.

While his place back at Hayward Field in July is already assured, the Olympic silver medallist is keen to test himself against his future team-mates.

Devon Allen, who beat Holloway in running the third fastest time in history earlier this month, was second in the second heat behind Trey Cunningham.

The big three are in the final with Daniel Roberts, who was second to Holloway in heat one, expected to challenge for what would be the fourth spot for Team USA.

12:05 Abby Steiner powers to world lead time in 200m as Sha'Carri Richardson goes out

A new star is about to be born.

Abby Steiner had already set the world lead time for the 200m at the NCAA Championships two weeks ago. And the University of Kentucky sprinter equalled that personal best with 21.80 in the semi-finals.

Cambrea Sturgis was second with Jenna Prandini third.

The second heat saw drama with Olympic bronze medallist Gabby Thomas only fourth with Sha'Carri Richardson in fifth. Thomas made it through as one of two fastest losers, but Richardson is out to complete a disappointing week for the star. She will not be returning here next month.

Tamara Clark won the heat in 22.05 from Brittany Brown, but Steiner is the woman they all have to catch.

11:55 Noah Lyles predicting something special in 200m final

Noah Lyles is pumped up for his 200m clash with Erriyon Knighton later today after cruising through the semi.

The reigning world champion won the first heat in 19.81 from lane seven with 100m victor Fred Kerley second in 20.09. Christian Coleman did not line up.

In the second semi-final, Knighton took victory in 19.97 ahead of Lyles' brother Josephus (20.04).

Olympic silver medallist Kenny Bednarek was only fourth but went through as a fastest loser.

But the clash between Lyles and Knighton, who broke Usain Bolt's U20 world record this year, is on. And the world champion reckons he can go much faster than he has shown so far in Eugene.

11:45 Emma Coburn retains steeplechase title

Emma Coburn remains the cream of the crop when it comes to the women's 3000m steeplechase in the United States.

The 2017 world champion claimed her 10th national steeplechase title, crossing the line in 9:10.63.

Second went to Courtney Waynent who ran a personal best of 9:12.10 with Courtney Frerichs, who took silver behind Coburn in London five years ago, in third place.

We're in the early stages of the four field finals in Eugene. Double Olympic and four-time world champion Christian Taylor is competing in the men's triple jump but he has failed to get near 17m since tearing his Achilles ahead of last year's Tokyo Olympic Games.

As defending champion, he is guaranteed a spot in next month's Worlds but looks unlikely to challenge for medals based on recent performances.

11:25 Welcome to the final day of the U.S. World Championship trials

It's Sunday at Hayward Field and this is the last day of the 2022 USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships with athletes bidding to make the World Championships in the same stadium in just under four weeks' time.

Olympic champion Sydney McLaughlin stole the show on Saturday with the first world record of the meet, eclipsing her own mark in the 400m hurdles.

There could be more fireworks today with nine finals on the track and four in the field with the top three in each event, provided they have achieved the World Championship entry standard or have an adequate world ranking, qualifying for the Worlds.

With temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) in the afternoon, distance finals were moved to earlier in the day.

After a pedestrian early pace, Elise Cranny outsprinted Karissa Schweizer to take the women's 5000m in 15:49.15. Emily Infeld was a close third with all three making the World Championship team having achieved the Eugene entry standard.

The men's event was run at a truer gallop and Grant Fisher scorched home on the final lap to take victory in a championship record 13:03.86.

Woody Kincaid was second with Abdihamid Nur third and, like the women, all three have the entry standard so will return here next month.

The scene is set for a thrilling finale to the meet with reigning world champion Noah Lyles and this year's half-lap star Erriyon Knighton going head to head in the men's 200m. And don't forget Olympic silver medallist Kenny Bednarek.

Sha'Carri Richardson aims for redemption in the women's event although Olympic bronze medallist Gabby Thomas and Abby Steiner - who looks to be following McLaughlin's path to stardom from the University of Kentucky - appear to have stronger prospects.

And could there be a world record in the final event for the second night running? Devon Allen ran the third fastest time in history earlier this month and he has reigning world champion Grant Holloway and Trey Cunningham for company.

Holloway does not need to race as he is already guaranteed his spot back in Eugene next month, but the Olympic silver medallist from Tokyo is keen to test himself against his future teammates.

Here is everything you need to know about the U.S. Trials

Today's schedule (all times local PST, UTC-7):

10:30 Women's 5000m Final

10:53 Men's 5000m Final

11:15 Men's Triple Jump Final

11:15 Women's 3000m Steeplechase Final

11:25 Men's High Jump Final

11:30 Men's 200m Semi-Finals

11:35 Men's Javelin Final

11:45 Women's 200m Semi-Finals

12:00 Women's Shot Put Final

12:00 Men's 110m Hurdles Semi-Finals

13:04 Men's 800m Final

13:14 Men's 400m Hurdles Final

13:24 Women's 800m Final

13:34 Men's 200m Final

13:44 Women's 200m Final

13:54 Men's 110m Hurdles Final