Surprises rule Olympic track and field trials  

If there is one truth that the 2024 U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials has revealed is that past success is not a guarantee for a spot on the team. That’s a harsh reality, even for a previous Olympic champion.    

The first few days of the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials have been interesting. On Day 2, Sha’Carri Richardson affirmed her status as the best in the world in the women’s 100 meters, running her way to a blistering 10.7 mark. 

“Everything that I’ve been through is everything I have been through to be in this moment right now,” said Richardson. “So there’s nothing I’ve been through that hasn’t designed me to sit right here in front of you and answer this question. Going into the Games, I don’t put a time on myself. I just know if I execute and run the race that I trained to prepare for that the time comes with it.”  

Noah Lyles, who is known for his theatrics as well as the way he runs the short sprints, became an Olympian for a second time after snatching defeat with a last-gasp win in the men’s 100 meters on Day 3.   

If there is something that the American sprinter is short of it would not be confidence. Lyles has been open about wanting to pull off a quadruple at this summer’s Olympics. That means claiming a win in the men’s 100, 200, 4×100, and 4×400.   

Those are lofty goals for anyone to think about and to pull off. Lyles won’t shortchange those ambitions. By winning the men’s 100 meters at the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials in a time of 9.83, Lyles took a bold step in the direction where he would have an opportunity to do something special in Paris. 

In a remarkable finish in which the top three runners in the men’s 100 all placed times in the 9.8 mark, Lyles kept his focus on the bigger picture, what his victory means and the personal goal he has set for himself this summer. 

“It’s just more confidence,” Lyles said after the race. “More confidence all the way. I ran [9.85] in Jamaica, came out here ran [9.83], and tied my PR (personal best). It’s everything that I wanted moving forward.”    

Lyles is the reigning world champion in both the 100 meters and 200 meters, securing his standing among the best in 2023. But at the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials, Lyles was nearly upset in his quest to claim the national title in the short race. 

That’s because Kenny Bednarek and Fred Kerley were both high-stepping on the Lyles’ coattails. Bednarek nipped Kerley for second place with a time of (9.87), which is 0.04 seconds under the time that Lyles posted. Kerley clocked in at a fast 9.88 to punch his ticket to Paris. 

“It’s go time,” Kerley said. “Hey, the season started today. So, it’s on and up, forward.”The odd man out in this race is Christian Coleman. Coleman, who usually has a turbocharged start, didn’t have enough fuel to get out of the blocks as quickly as he wanted. 

As a result of an ordinary start, Coleman took fourth in the race and lost out on his chance to make the Olympic team in the short race. Don’t look for middle-distance runner Athing Mu either. 

After becoming America’s darling at the previous Olympics, Mu saw her chances to make it to her second Summer Games go up in smoke in the form of congested bodies that eventually knocked her to the track. In track and field that’s all she wrote. Mu finished the race in ninth place. 

The shocking development on Day 4 of the trials created an opening for Nia Akins to cross the tape in first place with a time of 1:57.36. With Mu out of the running for an 800 spot at the Paris Olympics, her absence will now cost the USATF (United States Track and Field) team one of its most marketable athletes. 

“Nobody deserves that,” Akins said after the race. “She didn’t deserve that today. I didn’t deserve that three years ago. It’s just what happens. It’s just a whirlwind of emotions. I was in shock.”  

Allie Wilson, who finished second in the women’s 800, said she didn’t know what transpired. 

“Honestly, I didn’t see much. Kind of just heard something happened, and everyone…you know, you hear the crowd and their reaction. Obviously, it’s devastating that happened,” Wilson said during her post-race interview. “I don’t know what exactly happened…I’m devastated for Athing. Obviously, we all know she’s so, so talented and such an amazing competitor. She would have represented this country well, but I think we have three amazing women.”  

Michael Norman, who hails from Southern California, had to deal with his own despair. But at least he’s on the American team as the runner-up in the men’s 400. The race looked for all intents and purposes that would be a Norman coming out party as he charged towards the finish line with a huge lead.   

It appeared that Norman would be celebrating victory as the U.S. national champion. Quincy Hall changed that tune after he ran Norman down the backstretch to win at the tape, clocking in at 44. 17. Norman’s time was an impressive 44.41. It didn’t matter. Norman was unimpressed with the way the 400 ended for himself.  

“There’s one main area that I need to adjust and I know I can run a lot faster than what I did today,” Norman said. “It’s just a poorly executed race. I kind of let the moment…I kind of got a little too excited during the moments…paid for it at the end. So it was a learning experience.”