USA Olympic Trials 18th-27th June

[Sovietvest]

I watched it all on replay via Sprint King’s YouTube channel. As Lucky Spikes warned, the NBC lawyers are likely to get this removed, so I’m not optimistic it will be possible to catch up this way every day - but worth checking when you wake up tomorrow (assuming you’re not planning to live on US time all week).
NBC coverage was surprisingly good. Richards-Ross, Bolden and Goucher provide deep knowledge on all the potential contenders. The ‘human interest’ stories grate a bit but they’re broadcasting to lots of people who only watch ‘track’ once every 4 years. They were really scraping the barrel though when they reported the ‘amazing’ story of a W1500 runner who, in the early stages of the pandemic, offered to collect shopping for an elderly couple sat in their car outside a grocery store scared to go in. Inspiring.

[Ursus]

Brilliant from Ryan Crouser. And good to see Randy Barnes off the record books.

Totally.

It had been coming, but I doubt anyone thought 23.37 was on the cards. As soon as he released it he just knew. Fantastic!!

The first men’s throwing WR in a quarter of a century.

[LuckySpikes]

Thanks, Sovietvest ! SprintKing's video is still up and below the vid it says it was live streamed. I'll put his YT channel link in the document for tonight. It would certainly make it a lot easier to watch than faffing around with the other sometimes unreliable links I've provided.

OK, here are my dark horse picks to finish top 3 in the distance events ...

Men's
800 - The main contenders for the 3rd place behind Brazier & Hoppel would probably be Murphy, Harris & Rhoads; I'll go for NCAA champ Isaiah Jewett as my dark horse - he looks like a beast.
1500 - Centrowitz & Engels might be the favourites here but otherwise it's hard to know who the outsiders are. Does Cole Hocker qualify as a dark horse? I'll trust his wicked kick in a slow-ish final.
3000SC - H Bor, McGorty, Ferlic & Updike are the favourites here. So, my dark horse is Dan Michalski - he's on the upswing I think.
5000 - Lomong, Fisher, Chelimo & E Bor look to be the favourites here (possibly Kincaid too?). So, I'll go for Eric Jenkins to spring a mild surprise.
10,000 - As marginally the slowest of the 7 athletes with the Olympic standard, I'll go for Joe Klecker as my dark horse.
....

What a start for my dark horses! Joe Klecker 3rd in the 10,000 though that was probably the one I put least thought into.

[Grassmarket]

Thanks, Sovietvest ! SprintKing's video is still up and below the vid it says it was live streamed. I'll put his YT channel link in the document for tonight. It would certainly make it a lot easier to watch than faffing around with the other sometimes unreliable links I've provided.

Your links to the Russian Mafia are well known, mate. ☠

[treadwater1]

Allman 70.01, that’s some throw in qualifying. Crouser should get wider recognition, has more 22m throws than anyone else in history, throws big indoors, throws big early season, throws big at championships too.

[Sovietvest]

Really enjoyed the prelims, er, I mean, heats. (Damn that American cultural imperialism). Interesting to see a few big names hitting form just in time: Jenny Simpson, Nikki Hillitz and, to a lesser extent, Clayton Murphy were all people I thought might struggle to reach finals but all looked to be back to decent form. Loved the OQ by Abby Cooper (nee D'Agostino) - she realised due to the likely temperature on Monday it was 'now or never' to get the time - really brave, solo effort.

Norman and Brazier looked half asleep - complacent or not at their best?? - and Hoppell looked rusty.

As an aside, I'm planning to go to next year's WChs and am delighted to hear that every seat in the house is padded. Padded! Not to mention what looks like loads of legroom. Bless those massive, obese 'americans!! There was a section of those seats in our original Olympic stadium but they disappeared with the refurb (cheapskates). I'm used to 6 hours a day on hard seats with no leg room, so I'm now looking forward to next year all the more!

[marra]

You're lucky, as a lot of US stadia are often surprisingly rubbish on the legroom size and every seat often has a fixed drink holder which squeezes everything even tighter! I was shocked when I started attending events - I was expecting everything to be giant size and super comfy!

If we're talking ample room and comfy seats, the Emirates is still the best I've found. That place is like a palace!

[Sovietvest]

The 10,000 was a good race but here's a sobering thought. Woody Kincaid's time and last lap were almost the same as Juha Vaatainen's in 1971 at the ECh (27:52 and 53.8). Juha was not wearing super spikes.

[Christy93]

I see this years NCAA breakout sprinter, Cambrea Sturgis, finished down in 6th in her semi final in 11.05, despite a 2.6m/s breeze behind her and temperatures in the 80s. 10.64 for Richardson.

[marra]

From what I've seen, quite a few of the NCAA athletes are struggling to back it up here. Which makes sense, I guess. Two high quality and high pressure competitions with rounds back to back isn't something that every athlete will be able to do, especially towards the start of their career.

[Ladyloz]

Half of the men's 400 finalists are college athletes so it's not across the board. And I think Randolph Ross has a chance of top 3 behind Norman and Cherry.

[Occasional Hope]

It happens every year. Most can't sustain it to the trials, and of those that can, most then can't sustain it to that year's global champs. But there are always exceptions.

[Christy93]

100/200 prodigy Kaylin Whitney set a huge 400 PB (50.35) to make the final at US trials.

[philipo]

Oh dear, hasnt anybody thought about Mrs Mc Neal who will qualify for sure in the 100m hurdles ,whilst under a 5 year ban
. This cynical Usa nonsense which many fans sadly are prepared to overlook whilst regretting those African and Russian cheats,and others, has completely ruined my pleasure in genuine achievements by some Americans. I noted that Hobbs false started and ran the next round.
Has the head of World Athletics had one word to say about wholesale attack on the rules of anti doping and legal procedures. I doubt it.
I note from the mouth of Houlihan a statement that she tried the Semenya shtick with the Swiss Federal Courts who told her to bog off. What sort of people are they.?Jeez and those Americans are holding a WC next year and holding the OG in 7 years time.
Poor athletics🤨😰😡

[RunUnlimited]

Oh dear, hasnt anybody thought about Mrs Mc Neal who will qualify for sure in the 100m hurdles ,whilst under a 5 year ban
. This cynical Usa nonsense which many fans sadly are prepared to overlook whilst regretting those African and Russian cheats,and others, has completely ruined my pleasure in genuine achievements by some Americans. I noted that Hobbs false started and ran the next round.
Has the head of World Athletics had one word to say about wholesale attack on the rules of anti doping and legal procedures. I doubt it.
I note from the mouth of Houlihan a statement that she tried the Semenya shtick with the Swiss Federal Courts who told her to bog off. What sort of people are they.?Jeez and those Americans are holding a WC next year and holding the OG in 7 years time.
Poor athletics🤨😰😡

If there was one thing I was glad of during the coverage of yesterday's US Trials was the virtual silence that greeted McNeal when she won her hurdles heat. At least the Oregon public, who know a thing or two about the sport understood what a shambles that was and didn't congratulate the cheat. And how embrassing is it going to be for the USTAF when/if McNeal finishes in the top 3 tomorrow to book her place on the US team to Tokyo, only for her idiotic appeal to CAS to be almost certainly rejected and for her to be taken off the team in disgrace.... I mean come on, it's not like the USA is exactly *lacking* in medal winning talent in the 100m hurdles after all.... they clean sweeped the last Olympics for crying out loud! Why give this unashamed cheat the chance to do such damage to the sport and further lower the reputation of US athletics when they could just not have her race at all?

And having Hobbs run in the 100m final after clearly false starting in the semis, was a joke.

[LuckySpikes]

Really enjoyed the prelims, er, I mean, heats. (Damn that American cultural imperialism). Interesting to see a few big names hitting form just in time: Jenny Simpson, Nikki Hillitz and, to a lesser extent, Clayton Murphy were all people I thought might struggle to reach finals but all looked to be back to decent form. Loved the OQ by Abby Cooper (nee D'Agostino) - she realised due to the likely temperature on Monday it was 'now or never' to get the time - really brave, solo effort.

Norman and Brazier looked half asleep - complacent or not at their best?? - and Hoppell looked rusty.

As an aside, I'm planning to go to next year's WChs and am delighted to hear that every seat in the house is padded. Padded! Not to mention what looks like loads of legroom. Bless those massive, obese 'americans!! There was a section of those seats in our original Olympic stadium but they disappeared with the refurb (cheapskates). I'm used to 6 hours a day on hard seats with no leg room, so I'm now looking forward to next year all the more!

Not surprised by Simpson or Murphy but yes, Nikki Hiltz was a surprise after having a pretty poor year so far. Dani Aragon looked very good. I should have picked her as my dark horse for the top 3 !

I agree with your earlier post that the commentary hasn't been bad at all. Certainly a ton better than the awful, horrendous ESPN team. The human interest stories do make me cringe a bit though.

You better brush up on your lingo for next year. Remember, people aren't simply from somewhere ... No, sir! Instead, they're "out of New Jersey" or, like oil and ten gallon hats, "a product of Texas".

[Ladyloz]

Richardson won comfortably but her weaker start may be the key issue when she comes up against SAFP and DAS in Tokyo. Still not sure who will get the 2 spots behind Bromell in the Men's 100m.

Norman and Cherry look the best in the men's 400m. I think Felix will get top 3 in the women's but probably not win as Hayes & Jonathas looked good in the other semi. Felix's experience may be a factor too as she looked like she was perhaps conserving more energy knowing there was no rest day ahead of the final. Ellis who pipped her in her semi and the other semi all seemed to run hard.

I think with McNeal, USATF are probably worried about a law suit if she ends up getting cleared by CAS. Her situation is quite different from Houlihan's case which had already been to CAS. Her and Keni Harrison did look the best in the heats so McNeal could well finish top 3 which will be awkward, especially for the 4th place runner.

[RunUnlimited]

Richardson won comfortably but her weaker start may be the key issue when she comes up against SAFP and DAS in Tokyo. Still not sure who will get the 2 spots behind Bromell in the Men's 100m.

Norman and Cherry look the best in the men's 400m. I think Felix will get top 3 in the women's but probably not win as Hayes & Jonathas looked good in the other semi. Felix's experience may be a factor too as she looked like she was perhaps conserving more energy knowing there was no rest day ahead of the final. Ellis who pipped her in her semi and the other semi all seemed to run hard.

I think with McNeal, USATF are probably worried about a law suit if she ends up getting cleared by CAS. Her situation is quite different from Houlihan's case which had already been to CAS. Her and Keni Harrison did look the best in the heats so McNeal could well finish top 3 which will be awkward, especially for the 4th place runner.

Except in McNeal's case this is her *second* offense and from all reportage of it, she was bang to rights. This appeal was nothing more than a shameless stunt from her in myy opinion. Its likely that her appeal case will be thrown in the garbage where it belongs soon enough. But not before the potential spectacle of her gaining an undeserved spot on the US team.

[marra]

Whilst I completely agree with the unedifying spectacle of it all, I tend to agree with LadyLoz that USATF's hands are somewhat tied by the timing of the CAS appeal. Easier and less painful for them to say that they are simply following the rules and that their "hands are tied" rather than get involved in the litigation of banning her in advance themselves.

[RunUnlimited]

Rudy Winkler is showing that Pawel Fajdek will have some real competion in the hammer. In the hammer final right now, his first 4 throws were all over 80 meters, including a further improvement on his US and Area record in the 2nd round with an 82.71m effort. And even his one throw under 80m would have been good enough to win the US title (79.61m).

Behind Winkler and joining him on the team plane to Tokyo will be Daniel Haugh, who threw a PB of 79.39m in the final round, and Alex Young who also set a lifetime best of 78.32m to claim the third and final spot.

[trickstat]

US hammer throwing appears to be in some sort of golden age with their women being very strong too. Apparently, Winkler is throwing against Fajdek and Nowicki in Poland in a few days. I suspect Winkler might be a little hampered by jet lag.