Grant Holloway goes sub-13 again to book 110m hurdles finals spot, Valarie Allman claims discus at U.S. Trials - Day seven wrap
And we're back!
Day Five of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - track & field on Thursday (27 June), saw a return to competition after a two-day hiatus in Eugene, Oregon.
The day marked a fresh start of sorts, with round one of the following:
- men’s 800m and 5000m; high jump; discus
- women’s 1500m; long jump
- men’s and women's 200m; 400m hurdles
Hurdlers also returned for the semi-finals of men’s 110m hurdles; while finals took place for both women’s discus and the 3000m steeplechase.
Reigning Olympic champion Valarie Allman claimed the title in that aforementioned discus event, her 70.73m (232 feet) well and away the winner over second-place Jayden Ulrich's 62.63m effort. Allman won bronze here at Worlds in 2022, and is the reigning world silver medallist. Her 70.73 is her third-best throw ever.
Allman, competed with a smile on her face Thursday, and she said she’s found renewed joy in her sport: "I think it's been a bit of a journey,” she said.
"In 2021, it was so fun to be the underdog. And I think the last few years, I just felt pressure and I'd lost that excitement to go for it. And I feel like it's just back.”
Sha'Carri Richardson was back on the track to qualify for the women's 200m semis, her 21.99 the only sub-22 time of round one, followed by Gabby Thomas in second. Read more on the women's 200m here.
The men's 200m qualifiers followed with Noah Lyles going fastest at 20.10, followed by Erriyon Knighton debuting at the U.S. Trials with a time of 20.15. Read more on the men's 200m here.
Reigning Olympic champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone posted a 53.07 in the 400m hurdles to ease into the semis, too.
Elle St. Pierre was back on top again in the women’s 1500m round one with a time of 4:06.41 after winning the 5000 Monday night (24 June). Emily MacKay and Anna Camp-Bennett came in behind St. Pierre with the next fastest times of the night, all three women in the third heat. The 1500m continues Friday (28 June) with semi-finals, and a day of recovery ahead of the final on Sunday (30 June).
Follow a wrap of how the day unfolded below.
Grant Holloway goes sub-13 again in men’s 110m hurdle semi-finals
A rare three-day gap from the first round Monday (24 June) to the semi-finals offered a new challenge for the athletes, but nothing three-time world champion Grant Holloway couldn't handle. The Tokyo 2020 silver medallist set a season’s best time of 12.92 in the opening round and followed that in Thursday’s semi-finals with another sub-13 time of 12.96 to once again lead the field.
Freddie Crittenden followed with a season’s best 13.05 to lead heat two, and Daniel Roberts earned the third fastest time of 13.11.
Fan favorite Cordell Tinch followed Holloway over the finish line with a time of 13.19 in heat one.
Tinch, who briefly gave up the sport before beginning his quest again, said what was on most finallists' minds: "We got through. And that's what the goal of today was."
Valerie Constien wins women’s steeplechase with 10+ second PB
Valerie Constien took the win in the 3000m steeplechase final with an airy finish three seconds ahead of the pack, setting a meet record and personal best time of 9:03.22 – a massive 11-second leap from her previous best set one month ago, all helping her to earn a second Olympic appearance.*
Courtney Wayment finished second with a personal best of 9:06.50 and Marisa Howard finished with a personal best of 9:07.14 (a 15-second improvement) to claim the final Olympic berth.
Constien, only a year out from ACL surgery, shared the reality of her very recent recovery and return to training with U.S. broadcaster NBC: “It's really emotional because it was really tough. I only started running on the ground in September. Started doing workouts in December, and to just be here is such a big deal, but to be able to go to the team and win and run a huge personal best - I'm just so lucky and so blessed.”
The last lap saw a dramatic stumble by Olivia Markezich in the final 200m, sending her from to finish sixth.
*As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.
Sam Whitmarsh leads men's 800m round one
In round one of the men’s 800m, the top three times of the evening were all in a fast heat two, led by Sam Whitmarsh with a time of 1:46.13, followed by Isaiah Harris at 1:46.14 and Camden Marshall with a 1:46.33.
Bryce Hoppel led heat one with a 1:46.83, the reigning 800m world indoor champion satisfied with his effort.
“I'm just hoping we can get through a clean race and get the job done," he told reporters.
When asked about Emmanuel Wanyonyi clocking a world lead time of 1:41.70 at Kenyan Nationals (15 June), Hoppel said: “It gets me excited. Now it's like, alright, we gotta step it up. And we got to be there too. And so I'm excited to run against them.”
Looking ahead to semi-finals and finals, Hoppel is working toward a faster time: “I'll hopefully get a 1:42 while we're here and go run with the big guys after this [at the Olympics].”
Tara Davis-Woodhall is one and done leading women's long jump into finals
Tara Davis-Woodhall opened the women’s long jump round one qualifying with the winning jump of the night at 6.93m and called it good to finish at the top. Jasmine Moore followed second, also on her first jump, just shy of Davis-Woodhall with a 6.92m, followed by Monae' Nichols earning a 6.85m on her second attempt leading the pack of 12 advancing into Saturday’s final.