Mackenzie Long says her mother’s spirit carried her through the race for the Olympic team.
Mackenzie Long’s mother, Tara Jones, died unexpectedly of a heart attack at the age of 45 just before the season started. Long said she heard her mother’s voice on the track.
The U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials concluded with two of Team USA’s biggest stars, Ray Benjamin and Sidney McLaughlin-Levrone.
The penultimate event was the men’s 400m hurdles with Benjamin leading the 26-year-old hurdler from start to finish, setting a meet record and world-leading time of 46.46.
But U.S. track and field may have saved its best athlete in the end — and McLaughlin-Levrone did it.
The defending Olympic champion and world record holder in the women’s 400m hurdles put on a dazzling display around the track, running almost alone. When McLaughlin-Levrone crossed the finish line, she quickly discovered that she had smashed her previous world record with a time of 50.65 seconds.
McLaughlin-Lefron is the only woman in the history of the event to run under 51 seconds in the 400 hurdles.
McLaughlin-Levron and Benjamin highlight what was an exciting final day at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials:
Emotions ran rampant on the track after the women’s 100m hurdles final.
Masai Russell stunned Hayward Field and the athletics world with a stunning win in 12.25 seconds. Alysha Johnson ran a personal best of 12.31 seconds (12.302 seconds) to take second place.
Johnson gave perhaps the most emotional post-race interview at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials.
“It was all God. Everybody was saying all the time that I wasn’t good enough (and) I didn’t deserve it. So, I did it my way, my team’s way, the way it was supposed to be,” Alicia Johnson told Louis Johnson. “This is for the kids in the ghettos, this is for the people who came from nothing, this is for everyone who looks like me and who has ever doubted me. And I did it with a black cross on my chest. This is what I stand for and I’m paving the way for everyone in my position.”Tyler Dragon
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone breaks her own 400m hurdles world record
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone continued her dominance in the women’s 400-meter hurdles, setting (another) world record on Sunday at Hayward Stadium in the USA Track & Field Olympic Trials final. McLaughlin-Levron crossed the finish line in 50.65 seconds, then covered her mouth in shock at the sight of her time.
McLaughlin-Levrone’s previous world record, also set at Hayward, was 50.68 seconds, which she set at the 2022 World Championships.
Anna Cockerill (52.64) was second and Jasmine Jones (52.77) third and will join McLaughlin-Levron in Paris.Lindsey Schnell
Hubbell sealed his ticket to Paris in a big way. Hubbell led both laps of the 800 and crossed the finish line in a course record and personal best of 1:42.77.
Hubbell’s training partner, Hobbs Kessler, was second with a personal best time of 1:43.64.
Brandon Miller took third and final place in the heats with a time of 1:43.97.Tyler Dragon
Fischer and Noor were running step by step on the final lap of the men’s 5,000m, but Fischer had one last kick that gave him the win as he set a meet record of 13:08.85.
Nour came in second place, finishing the race in 13:09.01.
Parker Wolfe came in third with a personal best time of 13:10.75.
Fisher also won the 10,000 meters to qualify for the Olympics on June 21Tyler Dragon
Hauge won the men’s hammer throw with a season-best throw of 260 feet, 10 inches. Rudy Winkler came in second with a throw of 258 feet, 10 inches.
Hogg and Winkler were the only ones in the competition to hold the Olympic standard.
Shelby McEwen won the event, jumping 7 feet 6 inches. McEwen was the only jumper in the competition at Olympic standards.
Quincy Wilson, the 16-year-old runner who captivated the Hayward Field crowd when he reached the men’s 400-meter final, has an outside chance of going to Paris to compete in the men’s 4×400 relay.
Hall finished sixth in the 400m final in 44.94 seconds. He holds the fastest 400m time in the world this year, having clocked 44.59 seconds in the semi-finals of the trials on June 23. He said after the final that he would not stop training until he was sure his season was over, adding that he was not sure whether he expected to qualify for the relay because such decisions were “very political”.
The relay group is determined by relay coaches Mike Marsh and Michelle Freeman. They will announce the team no later than July 8, but the athletes and their individual coaches will be notified sooner — possibly late Sunday night — so the athletes can begin training together. –Lindsey Schnell
McLaughlin-Levrone posted the fastest time in the 400m hurdles semifinals on Saturday, clocking 52.48 seconds to easily advance to Sunday’s finals.
Every time McLaughlin-Levrone steps onto the track, there is a chance to set a world record, and some expect that to happen Sunday. She is the defending gold medalist and a strong favorite to repeat in Paris. McLaughlin-Levrone also won gold in the 4x400m in Tokyo and is expected to be on the relay team again.
If you missed any of the events this week or last week, we’ve got you covered with the results list for the top three finishers in each event who will automatically qualify for the Paris Olympics.
Christina Clemons and Kenny Harrison earned automatic qualifying spots in the first round of the women’s 100m hurdles semifinals on Saturday. Clemons and Harrison ran 12.52 seconds, but after review, Clemons was deemed the narrow winner.
Ironically, Alisha Johnson and Tonya Marshall crossed the finish line in exactly the same time of 12.36 seconds to lead the second round of the semifinals. Johnson was chosen as the winner after review.
Masai Russell also clocked 12.36 to win the third and final heat of the semi-final.
Johnson, Marshall and Russell all have the top qualifying times entering Sunday’s final at 8 p.m. ET.
What time do the US track and field finals start on Sunday?
Sunday’s first final, the men’s hammer throw, begins at 5:50 p.m. The final event is the women’s 400-meter hurdles scheduled for 8:29 p.m. ET.
How to Watch the US Olympic Trials
All events are broadcast live on Peacock, NBCOlympics.comAnd NBC.com and the NBC and NBC Sports apps. NBC will broadcast the finals on Sunday from 7:30-8:30 p.m
He watches: The 2024 USA Track and Field Olympic Trials are free on Fubo
Today’s Olympic Trials schedule
5:50pm – Hammer Final M
6:15pm – W pole vault final
6:30pm – High jump M final
6:55pm – Triple Jump M final
7:10pm – Javelin final
7:30pm – 5000m Final
7:51pm – 800m Final
8pm – 100m Hurdles Final
8:09pm – 1500m Final
8:20pm – 400m Hurdles Final
8:29pm – 400m Hurdles Final