World Records Fall, Teens Make Olympic Team
You could not ask for a more fitting end to perhaps the greatest U.S. Olympic Trials in history.
I’m sure many thought that surely nothing could touch last night’s spectacular display of records and top marks by American athletes, but we were so very wrong.
Two teenagers make the Olympic team in stunning fashion tonight. Athing Mu from Texas A&M ran a world-leading 1:56.07 to lead-in World Championship silver medalist Raevyn Rogers, and American record holder, Ajee’ Wilson.
19-year-old Athing Mu nearly runs American record in amazing 800m final. Track H2q.
I’ll admit, I had my doubts about whether or not seventeen-year-old Erriyon Knighton could make it through the rounds and continue to lay down times fast enough to make the team, but there wasn’t a doubt in his mind.
After a dominating display last night where we saw the youngster throw down a casual 19.88 second 200m dash in the semifinal, you knew there was more in the tank. Tonight, Knighton once again ran a new personal best and world youth record time of 19.84 to beat Usain Bolt’s record once more and wrap a bow on his first Olympic Trials and clinch the bronze medal spot.
Erriyon Knighton becomes the first high schooler to make a U.S. Olympic team since 1972. Accion Deportes.
Along with Knighton, Kenny Bednarek and World Champion Noah Lyles will be headed overseas to represent Team USA. Bednarek ran a new personal best of 19.78 and Lyles a world-leading 19.74.
In a bit of a surprise, the men’s 1500m final shaped up quite interestingly.
Twenty-year-old NCAA Champion Cole Hocker stole the show with a new personal best of 3:35.28 ahead of Olympic champion Matthew Centrowitz and the man Hocker outkicked in the NCAA Championships to win gold — NCAA record holder, Yared Nuguse.
Cole Hocker storms to Olympic Trials victory. Accion Deportes.
Just missing out on the team was everyone’s favorite mustache and mullet-toting hero, Craig Engels. Only five-tenths of a second separated Engels from the final position.
After winning the men’s high jump earlier today, LSU star JuVaughn Harrison made history by becoming the only man to ever double in the high jump and the long jump.
Not only did he win both events, but he also did so with fantastic marks. In the high jump, Harrison cleared 7’7-3/4” (2.33m) with a perfectly clean slate. In the long jump, he set another personal best leap of 27’9-1/2” (8.47m).
In an event very close to home for me, the women’s heptathlon completed, and as the smoke cleared, Annie Kunz stood atop the heap.
The Colorado native scored a personal best and new world-leading 6703 points to book her first ticket to the Games. Close behind her, all surpassing the previous world best are Kendell Williams and Erica Bougard which should make for one hell of an Olympic showing for Team USA.
The night was capped off in the best way possible. Three of the fastest women to have ever run the 400m hurdles lined up and lit the world on fire.
World record holder Dalilah Muhammad, second-fastest woman ever Sydney McLaughlin, and tenth-fastest woman Shamier Little went strong through 300m.
An unfortunate stumble from Little as she rounded the home stretch allowed for NCAA champion Anna Cockrell to pull slightly ahead for third, but they were nowhere near the two in front.
Dalilah Muhammad was about a stride ahead coming home until McLaughlin turned on the after-burners and charged the final barrier and crossed the line in a new world record. Decimating Muhammad’s record by nearly three-tenths of a second.
Muhammad ran a stellar season’s best of 52.42, while McLaughlin appeared quite shocked with her new record of 51.90 seconds. It seems every time these two run against each other, a new world record is forged.
Sydney McLaughlin stuns with a new world record in 400m hurdles. Accion Deportes.
What an absolutely incredible week in the track and field community, and this is only the appetizer before the main dish. So what do you guys think? What were your favorite moments of this year’s Olympic Track and Field trials?
