Team USA selection for the Rio 2016 ,has seen its fair share of drama and raised eyebrows. The track and field trials underway at the historic Hayward Field at the University of Oregon, are in their second stage with some notable performers not making the cut to either the final or placing top 3 in the final round.
World leader in the women’s 400mh, Shamier Little, finished 5th in her semi final and did not claim a spot in the final while high school sensation, Sydney McLaughlin, won her semi final race.
In the 100mh medal round, Kendra Harrison, the world leader, finished in 6th while Jasmine Stowers, 3rd ranked suffered a similar fate as Jamaica’s World champion, Danielle Williams. The event was won by Brianna Rollins in convincing fashion in a time of 12.34.
On the men’s side on the track, the high school athletes Michael Norman and Noah Lyles, were making a case and shaking things up a bit. Norman handed Gatlin his 2nd loss of the meet in their semi final encounter. Lyles from TC Williams High School, beat out Olympic bronze Medalist, Walter Dix, in semi final 2.
All in all, the men’s 200m belonged to World 400m champion, Lashawn Merritt, who registered 19.74 from semi final 3, improving on his world lead of 19.78, done at the Chris Brown Invitational in April.
There were spills on the track in the women’s 800 which ultimately knocked out crowd favorite, Alysia Montoya, from making it into her 2nd Olympics.
Former NFL Coach, Tony Dungy, said in his interview with Lewis Johnson at the trials “Doesn’t matter what your body of work has been or what your reputation, you have to do it today.”
The USA Olympic Trials continues today with the semi final of the women’s 200, the final of the mens 200 and 110mh events.
When you have to do the rounds in the big league its not like college its a whole different monster
Thank you very much Vaugh for bringing much needed concise and competent writing to this website.