Deep Fields and Dramatic Storylines Make These Must-Watch Events

By Scott Bush

Every field at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials offers a bit of dramatic flair with only three spots up for grabs, but some are more primed to shine than others. Here are a few of the favorites.

Women’s 100m Hurdles

America’s deepest event will once again showcase a bevy of talent and there will be too many athletes who miss out on an Olympic berth that will undoubtedly finish the season ranked in the world top 10.

The easy favorite on paper is Keni Harrison. Having set the American record with her remarkable 12.24 win at the Prefontaine Classic, Harrison currently holds the top four times in the world this season and remains unbeaten. She is the class of the field and unless she takes a spill, her spot for Rio is all but locked up.

Harrison broke the American record mark of Brianna Rollins, who is back to running as well as she almost ever has. Rollins currently ranks second in the world with a seasonal best of 12.53, while owning two other top 10 times in the world this season. She’s found her consistency, won numerous top-level events and is really the only challenger for Harrison.

Then comes the pack. Jasmin Stowers, Sharika Nelvis, Olympic gold medalist Dawn Harper-Nelson, Queen Harrison, Kristi Castlin, World indoor champion Nia Ali and Olympian Lolo Jones are all tested, all capable of earning a roster spot for Rio, all contenders who’ve run at the highest of levels the past two years. This is too good!

Ten of the top 14 hurdlers in the world currently are from the United States, which is simply incredible to think about. With only eight making the Olympic Trials final, the competition throughout the rounds will be nearly as fierce as the final.

Women’s Pole Vault

The intrigue around the women’s pole vault comes from the “Big Three” and the lack of knowledge around how healthy they may or may not be. Jenn Suhr, the world indoor record holder and World indoor champion, has either dropped out of meets or quietly competed in smaller competitions this season for the most part, citing a lower-leg injury that crept up during the indoor season.

For World indoor runner-up Sandi Morris, she broke a bone in her wrist earlier this season when her pole snapped. She’s been open about training through the injury, but how sharp can one be not physically being able to vault 100 percent as the most intense competition of the outdoor season approaches?

The same goes for Demi Payne, who was having a tremendous 2016 campaign until her pole snapped earlier this season and she dislocated her thumb. Healing in time for the Trials has remained a big question mark, especially as Payne didn’t compete at the NCAA Championships.

Will all three be able to perform at or near their best in Eugene? So many question marks remain for three women who seemed more than capable at the beginning of the year to challenge for medals in Rio.

Men’s Shot Put

Day One of the Trials kicks off in grand fashion with the men’s shot put final taking place. As always, this event is loaded with talent, as the shot put is one of the deepest events for Team USA. With a steady mix of young pros looking to make a name for themselves and top veterans seeking to qualify for one final Olympic team, the storylines around this event are as intense as the action will be in the ring.

Reigning world champion Joe Kovacs is the easy favorite. Kovcas has quickly become the top putter in the world and owns three of the top four best throws in the world this year, including the only tosses over 22 meters, with a seasonal best of 22.13 coming at the Prefontaine Classic. He’s as close to a shoo-in as you can get in this event.

Right behind Kovacs is former University of Texas standout Ryan Crouser. Crouser currently ranks second in the world with a 21.85m best, while also having a 21.34m mark to his name. Crouser has emerged on the scene in a big way this spring and will vie for an Olympic berth in front home state support.

Kurt Roberts, who won the USATF indoor title this year, is another key contender. Roberts won his first Diamond League title this outdoor campaign, winning in Shanghai last month with a 21.40m victory, good enough to rank him third in the world. Roberts has stepped up his game this season and could very well contend for the top two.

Other notable young throwers who’ll vie for Team USA spots are Darrell Hill, who ranks seventh in the world currently and 2015 Team USA member Jordan Clarke, who ranks ninth in the world.

After that quintet come the veterans. Two-time world indoor champion and 2013 World outdoor silver medalist Ryan Whiting continues to look to find the form that made him the best in the world only a couple years ago. He currently ranks 10th in the world, but will need to get closer to the 22 meter mark if he hopes to qualify for his second Olympics.

Then comes Reese Hoffa. The legendary thrower has a seasonal best of 20.83m, seeking his fourth Olympic team. While he ranks well off the top pack of contenders, one can never discount a veteran with so much experience. Throw in Olympian Adam Nelson, who came out of retirement for another crack at an Olympic spot, as well as young pros Jonathan Jones and Cory Martin, and this is once again a must-see event.

Women’s 400m

It’s a battle of young stars versus experienced veterans. Youth versus experience. Best of all, the women’s 400m has a legit eight athletes who’ll vie for the three Olympic berths. This one is going to be fun!

Let's start with the veterans.

On paper, reigning world champion Allyson Felix should win, but with injuries forcing her to basically not race this outdoor season, how she handles running rounds and then of course what should be a blazing fast final leaves numerous questions. Plus, Felix has stated time and again that the 200/400 double is her focus. Can she bounce back and pull it off?

Then you have fellow Olympians Sanya Richards-Ross and Natasha Hastings. Richards-Ross pulled up with an injury at the American Track League meeting in Atlanta earlier this month. Whether or not she recuperates in time remains to be seen. For Hastings, the 29 year old currently sits at No. 11 in the world with a 50.86 seasonal best. She knows how to run the rounds and can never be discounted.

Finally, Francena McCorory is having one heck of a season. She’s run 50.73 or faster four separate times and currently ranks fourth in the world with a season’s best of 50.23. McCorory surprisingly didn’t make the U.S. team last year and will certainly be out for revenge in Eugene.

Now for the young stars.

NCAA champion Courtney Okolo was one of the most dominant athletes at the NCAA level this year. The University of Texas standout crushed her competition time and again and currently holds the second fastest 400m time in the world this season with a 49.71 clocking. She’s run 50.76 or faster four times this season and seems ready to challenge for the win in Eugene.

While Okolo got all of the attention this spring in the collegiate ranks, fans shouldn’t sleep on Taylor Ellis-Watson of Arkansas. The graduating senior finished second at the NCAA championships, has run under 51 seconds three times and currently ranks ninth in the world – fifth American. Like all top tier collegians, she’s practiced in running rounds already, so don’t be surprised if she sneaks into a top three finish.

Add in Phyllis Francis and World Indoor medalists Quanera Hayes and Ashley Spencer, and you can see just how loaded this field is. Francis has plenty of big-meet race experience, while both Hayes and Spencer showed in Portland that they can be forces on the international stage. Both Hayes and Spencer need to find their peak form again after long early parts to their seasons, while Francis seems to be peaking perfectly for the Trials.

Men’s 1,500m

What makes the men’s 1,500m so fascinating and fun is that outside of Matthew Centrowitz, there are no clear cut favorites to make the team. Centrowitz, who dealt with some lingering injury issues coming off his incredible World Indoor gold medal performance, looked relatively sluggish doing the 800m /1,500m double at the Portland Track Festival earlier this month. However, he seemed much more sharp and confident after winning a 1,500m tune-up at the Stumptown Twilight last week. He knows what it takes to win a U.S. title, so of course he enters as the favorite.

Behind Centrowitz, Ben Blankenship and Robby Andrews seem like the next two athletes who’ll challenge for a Team USA roster spot. Blankenship has far too often been the odd man out, most recently finishing fourth at the USATF Outdoor Championships in 2015. However, he seems ready for the challenge this year and has shown plenty of fitness to truly challenge. 

For Andrews, he’s been building momentum all season long, starting with a fourth place finish at the World Indoor Championships. While he’s raced sparingly outdoors, he did finish second at the USATF Outdoor Championships last year, then made the World Outdoor final in Beijing. He’s refined his round running in a big way the last two years.

The dark horse in the field is Leo Manzano. The Olympic medalist can never be discounted, but he’s yet to show any sort of form to where he would finish top three in Eugene. He did run 1:45.24 at the adidas Boost Boston Meet earlier this month, which was his fastest 800m since 2010, but his 3:39.70 seasonal best for 1,500m is well behind the lead group of contenders set to race in Eugene.

Other notable contenders are Jordan McNamara, Colby Alexander who recently ran 3:36.26, NCAA champion Clayton Murphy and Garrett Heath. Heath is a wild card, as he could very well challenge in the 5,000m, but he also ranks extremely well in the 1,500m and has the strength to carry through the rounds.

David Torrence would have been on the list as a potential qualifier, but he recently switched to run for Peru, thus he won’t be competing in Eugene.

Women’s 5,000m

What makes the women’s 5,000m so exciting is the amount of questions that won’t be solved until everyone lines up at the start line in Eugene and hits the ground running. Molly Huddle is entered, and voiced her desire to double, so she immediately ranks as the pre-race favorite having run 14:48.14 this season, 16 seconds ahead of her nearest American competition.

The second-ranked athlete ready to race in Eugene is reigning U.S. champion Nicole Tully. Tully ran 15:04.08 in Palo Alto back in early May. She’s run 4:10 for 1,500m this outdoor season, as well as 4:31 for the mile earlier this month, so she’s clearly worked enough speed to be a force, especially in a tactical race.

Abbey D’Agostino and Marielle Hall are also entered. Hall finished second to Tully last year at the USATF Outdoor Championships, while D’Agostino finished third. Hall currently ranks third amongst the event declarations based on seasonal bests (Kim Conley will only focus on the 10k). D’Agostino hasn’t raced much, but when she has she’s been in the mix. Both she and Hall will contend for Team USA spots once more.

Bowerman Track Club teammate Emily Infeld and Shelby Houlihan are entered and have the potential to make the team. Infeld hasn’t raced this outdoor season after dealing with some injury issues coming out of indoors. However, Houlihan is race sharp, crushing numerous 800m and 1,500m races earlier in the season. These two could very well work together, although Infeld may opt to only run the 10,000m.

Not to be overlooked, Gabriele Grunewald has run strong as of late, running sub-15:20 this season, as has Lauren Paquette, who ran 15:14.45 earlier this season. Add in Katie Mackey, who’d yet to declare for the event at the writing of this article, and there seems to be eight women fighting for three spots in Eugene. Here we go!

Men’s Long Jump

On paper, the men’s long jump is a battle between six individuals. For starters, Buffalo Bills wide receiver and kick returner Marquise Goodwin is having one heck of a season. Goodwin, who qualified for the Olympics in 2012 and ultimately finished tenth overall, currently has the farthest two leaps in the world this season, with a 8.45m best set back in May, and another 8.42m win at the Birmingham Diamond League meeting in early June. He’s more than ready to contend for the U.S. title and another Olympic Team berth.

His toughest competition should come from Mike Hartfield. The 26 year old currently ranks third in the world with a best jump of 8.34m. Hartfield finished second to Goodwin in Birmingham with a 8.29m effort and should he make the U.S. squad, will contend for a medal in Rio.

Jeff Henderson, who’s been ranked number one in the world at various points, enters as a bit of an underdog. Henderson hasn’t blown away the competition at any point yet this season and “only” holds an 8.19m seasonal best. Marquis Dendy, who many considered a near shoo-in for a Team USA spot, is coming off a gnarly ankle injury sustained at the Prefontaine Classic. He holds an 8.19 seasonal best, too, but it remains to be seen if he can bounce back and have enough fitness, considering he should be doubling with the triple jump.

The two dark horses in the field are Jarvis Gotch and Jarrion Lawson. Lawson is coming off a huge NCAA Championship weekend, where he won the 100m, 200m and long jump, while Gotch has quietly become one of the world’s best, currently ranked eighth in the world with a best of 8.24m.

2012 bronze medalist Will Claye is also entered in the field, but has yet to show any semblance of form in this event to truly contend for a top three finish. Of course he can never be counted out, but it seems the triple jump is far more the focus for the former University of Florida star.

Men’s 10,000m

There are so many question marks in this event, which is why it’s the perfect event to cap off Day One of the Olympic Trials. Defending champion and reining Olympic silver medalist Galen Rupp is trying to balance training for the marathon and being sharp enough to outlast furious kicks on what should be a very tactical 10,000m. Rupp has been quoted as running up to 140 miles per week and looked less than sharp at the Stumptown Twilight this past week, where he finished third to two collegians over 5,000m. Obviously the 10,000m is a different ballgame, and one Rupp has seemingly mastered, but will he have enough leg speed to finish top three?

The two favorites heading into the Trials are Ben True and Hassan Mead. Mead is having one heck of a season, setting a PR in the 1,500m of 3:37.65 and running 13:04.17 at the Pre Classic for 5,000m. He has taken his talent to a whole new level this season, which means he could very well win on Friday.

For True, his season has been relatively quiet, as he looks to peak perfectly at the Trials and earn his first Olympic Team spot. True finished 11th at the Pre Classic over 5,000m, running 13:12.67. He did run a relatively surprising 3:36.05 1,500m PR earlier this month, showing he’s ready to roll regardless of early pace. Both he and Mead have shown tremendous strength and speed as they head into the Trials.

Add in 2012 Olympian Diego Estrada, Rupp’s Nike Oregon Project teammate Eric Jenkins, legend Bernard Lagat, NCAA runner-up Futsum Zeinsellassie, 2015 Team USA qualifier Shadrack Kipchirchir and multi-time U.S. cross country champion Chris Derrick (if he indeed gets to run), and the men’s 10k has shaped up to be one of the finest races of the Trials.