Kendall Ellis blasts ahead to claim women's 400m and second Olympic appearance at 2024 U.S. Trials - Track & Field: Day three wrap
Day three of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - track & field on Sunday (23 June) was a night for minting Olympians, with six finals at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
Before the stars of athletics took the stage, Snoop Dogg, the famed musician, stepped out to warm up the track. Dogg ran the 200m in 34.44.
A busy Trials schedule included finals across women’s hammer, men’s pole vault, men’s javelin, women’s 400 metres, men’s 3000m steeplechase - all culminating with the much-anticipated men’s 100 metre final to finish the night.
Noah Lyles claimed the men's 100m in a tight-as-can-be final. Read about it here.
After struggling throughout the season, Kendall Ellis earned a second Olympic berth in the 400m by clocking back-to-back personal bests. Her 49.46 claimed the win, with Aaliyah Butler (49.71) and Alexis Holmes (49.78) heading to Paris 2024 with her, the only three women to break the 50-second mark on the night.
While Ellis was victorious on the track, Ohio native Annette Echikunwoke claimed the women's hammer throw title on the field, hurling a 74.68m (245 feet) on her first attempt. DeAnna Price and Erin Reese earned Paris 2024 berths, as well.
In men's pole vault, Rio 2016 bronze medallist Sam Kendricks claimed a meet record with his 5.92m (19 feet, 5 inches). He outjumped Chris Nilsen and Jacob Wooten (both 5.83m).
It was all about the first of the three women's 800m semi-finals, as reigning Olympic champion Athing Mu led a field of four sub-2-minute times, that also included Kate Grace, Michaela Rose and Juliette Whittaker. Mu's 1:58.84 was the fastest time of the night.
Kendall Ellis tops field of sub-50 in women’s 400m final
All three women booking their tickets in the 400m to Paris 2024 put down their personal best times—all sub 50—to earn their way.
Olympic gold and bronze relay medalist Kendall Ellis is headed to her second Olympic Games after surging across the finish line to post the winning time of 49.46.
Ellis made an impressive back-to-back PRs, improving from her personal best of 49.81 set in the semi-finals to today’s 49.46.
Ellis said she didn’t make any adjustments: “It was just replicating what I did yesterday and just doing it better.”
She said she has made mindset changes that have boosted her performance: “Just believing in myself—truly. The workouts haven't changed, the results in practice haven’t changed. But finally, something clicked up here that says ‘You can do it, you can go out with the best of them and you can finish better than anyone else.’ So just really believing and committing to that belief in the very first step.”
Aaliyah Butler took second with a time of 49.71, and 4x400m world gold medalist Alexis Homes claimed the third and final spot to Paris with a time 49.78.
Two-time world 400m hurdles silver medalist Shamier Little kept things interesting in the 400m this week, scratching out - and then back in - to semi-finals. She finished ninth in the final, but will be back to compete in her main event of the 400m hurdles in coming days.
Athing Mu leads field of four sub-2-minute women into 800m final
The 800m semi-finals were all about heat one. Athing Mu, back for just her second race of the season, took a late lead along with Kate Grace to surge past leader Michaela Rose at the finish line, with Mu posting a time of 1.58.84 and Grace putting it all on the line, crashing into the score board to earn her season best time of 1:58.97.
Rose, who led after the first round, was left to wait to see if her time of 1.59.00 would be enough to qualify through on time, which it was.
Juliette Whittaker rounded out the sub-two times with a 1:59.58, which allowed her to advance into finals despite her fourth-place finish – all of this in heat one.
In a post-race interview, Mu said coming out of semi-finals she’s exactly where she expected to be considering who she had in her heat.
For finals, Mu says, “It's all about just going out there, being relaxed and actually just executing the race, whatever it takes.”
As for her strategy, Mu kept her cards close, saying, “The pace is always going to be different, different tactics. So, I’m just making sure I'm in the race and in a good spot so I can finish off top three.”
Allie Wilson easily led heat three by a large margin, winning with a 2:00.29 to advance.
Also advancing into finals are Kristie Schoffield, Nia Akins, Raevyn Rogers and Sage Hurta-Klecker.
Quincy Hall continues domination in men's 400m semi-finals
Quincy Hall led the field of nine advancing into Monday’s (24 June) final with a season-best time of 44.42. Not far behind Hall was 16-year-old high school sophomore Quincy Wilson who continued his relentless progression with another U18 world record time of 44.66 to advance into the finals with the fourth-fastest time.
Bryce Deadmon clocked the top time of 44.44 in heat two to advance in second position. Vernon Norwood, also in heat two, set a personal best time of 44.50, followed by Wilson.
2022 World champion Michael Norman led heat three with a time of 45.30.
Also advancing into finals are Chris Bailey (44.82), Matthew Boling (44.91), Justin Robinson (44.95), and Khaleb McRae (45.59).
Echikunwoke wins women’s hammer throw finals
You could cut the tension with a knife in what proved to be a very unpredictable women’s hammer throw final. There were two exceptions, from her very first throw, Annette Echikunwoke took control of the competition holding the lead throughout all six rounds. To take the win with an Olympic standard mark of 74.68. This will be her second Olympic Games, previously competing for Nigeria at Tokyo 2020.
Similarly**, DeAnna Price** qualified for what will be her third consecutive Olympic team. Price hit her best mark on her third attempt ahead of the final cut, a 74.52.
Erin Reese threw a 71.21 to claim the third Olympic berth.
2022 World Champion and number-one ranked thrower Brooke Anderson was a favorite coming into tonight’s event, but she fouled out, failing to advance into the final. Another favorite, Janee Kassanavoid, going for her first Olympic bid, narrowly advanced into the final, but wasn’t able to break into the top three.
Rooks rocks steeplechase; Thompson wins javelin
In other finals on Sunday, Kenneth Rooks claimed the men's 3000m steeplechase title with a surge over the last two laps, his 8:21.92 a full second clear of second-place finisher Matthew Wilkinson (8:23.00). Rooks successfully defended his 2023 title.
James Corrigan rounded out the top three at 8:26.78. Corrigan is yet to attain the Olympic standard in the event, but will be given the opportunity to hit it at Saturday's (29 June) Penn Relays Summer Showcase, which has added the race for his benefit. Should he not succeed, Evan Jager, who was fourth, will replace him in Paris.
In javelin, Curtis Thompson launched a season's best 83.04m (272 feet, 5 inches) for the win, the 2023 Pan American Games champion repeating as Olympic Trials winner from 2021 to make a second Olympic team.
Capers Williamson (79.57m) and Donavon Banks (79.19m) finished two-three.