Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone breaks 400m hurdles world record; Quincy Wilson is set to become U.S.’ youngest track and field Olympian at age 16

The second half of the USA Track & Field Olympic Trials had fans on the edge of their seats, eager to see Paris’ biggest show, with celebrity guest appearances from Terry Crews and others.

Spectators and players enjoyed 13 tournament records set over 10 days at Hayward Field, and the competitive nature of the tournament has fans excited for the trip to Paris.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone breaks 400m hurdles world record for fifth time

In typical Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone fashion, the reigning Olympic champion made history on June 30, when she clocked 50.65 seconds in the 400-meter hurdles to break her own world record for the fifth time.

Throughout the qualifying rounds, McLaughlin-Levrone easily proved she was ready to make her third Olympic team. She first made the team at the 2016 Rio Games as a 16-year-old. At the time, McLaughlin-Levrone was eliminated before the final round. In an interview after the race, she said she was ready to come back and compete for a spot on the podium.

McLaughlin-Levrone kept her promise and made the Olympic team again in 2021. She reigned as champion and set a new world record alongside two-time Olympic and World champion Dalilah Muhammad. Former world record holder Muhammad announced that this would be the final Olympic Trials of her career, but she is not officially retiring from competition.

Unfortunately, Muhammad did not qualify for the Paris Games, but many athletes and fans credited her with changing the landscape of the women’s 400m hurdles before McLaughlin and Levrone came along, working together to take the sport to new heights and open up possibilities no one could have imagined.

As McLaughlin-Levrone continues to make history, the question of just how fast she can go comes up often. In her post-race interview, she expressed a desire to eventually run the event in the 49-second range. For reference, her current world record would have placed her 6th in the women’s 400m final at the Trials. A 49-second time would have placed her at least 4th.

Former University of Southern California athlete Jasmine Jones and current two-time Olympian Anna Cockrell will join McLaughlin-Levrone in the pursuit of greatness together in Paris.

Quincy Wilson competes in the Paris Olympics

Four months ago, Forbes wrote about Quincy Wilson’s chances of becoming an Olympian. By age 16, Wilson had set numerous high school and national records. Prior to the Olympic Trials, Wilson’s personal best was just 45.13 seconds. Unheard of at his age, Wilson knew he had to run faster if he wanted any chance of going to Paris.

ForbesWhy track and field phenom Quincy Wilson has a chance to make the U.S. Olympic teamby Caitlin Hutchison

In the first round of the men’s 400m race, Wilson clocked 44.66 seconds, breaking the under-18 world record. After the race, Wilson said in an interview that he was thrilled to hear the sound of a standing ovation. He also said that love and support make him run faster, and that he hopes the positive vibes will continue in the second round.

His wish came true and the stadium erupted in cheers as he took to the track to qualify for the 400m final. Wilson clocked 44.59 seconds, breaking the U-18 world record for the second time, and his effort was enough to qualify for the final.

Wilson qualified for the final, clocking 44.94 seconds, winning three sub-45 second races over four days. Unfortunately, his time was not in the top three, meaning he was unable to compete in the Open 400m in Paris. However, his sixth place finish put him on the relay shortlist, making him an Olympian if selected.

Ultimately, the choice will rest with the USATF relay coaches to determine who has the best chance of bringing home the gold medal for Team USA.

In an Instagram post last night, Wilson let the world know that he received a call from his relay coach with the amazing news that he had been selected to compete in the relay. This is a historic moment for Wilson in many ways. He will be the youngest athlete to compete in the 4x400m relay at the Olympics since 1976. If he is selected to compete in the mixed 4x400m relay, he will be the youngest athlete ever to compete in the event.

Most importantly, Wilson will become the youngest U.S. male track and field Olympian.

Masai Russell breaks Gayle Deaver’s Olympic Trials record

Ask any track and field fan which team is the toughest to make, and the answer will almost certainly include the women’s 100-meter hurdles. Last season, six of the top 10 women in the world were from the U.S. To get on the team, she’ll have to beat former world record holder Keni Harrison and Olympic silver medalist Nia Ali.

Nike athlete Masai Russell was selected to the World Team last year along with Harrison and Ali. Unfortunately, Russell did not make it past the World Championship round, but she made a strong case for a comeback in her post-race interview. At the time, she had spoken out about the possibility of making the Paris Olympic Team.

Russell captured the U.S. title with a stunning victory at Hayward Field. She set a new personal and meet record in the event with a time of 12.25 seconds, beating the previous meet record of 12.33 seconds set by the legendary Gail Dever 24 years ago. Russell’s success is not surprising considering she has been training with 60m hurdles world record holder Devin Charlton for the past six years.

Following Russell to Paris will be Aleisha Johnson and Grace Stark. Johnson has had health issues throughout her career that have made it difficult for her to compete at times. Despite the setbacks, Johnson has consistently proven that she can compete when the time is right. Stark broke her leg two years ago and underwent surgery to get back to her best. After facing a potentially career-ending injury, she is now an Olympian. Each of these three women has a deep story that makes this moment special for them.

Raven Sanders qualifies for third Olympic Games

Olympic silver medalist in the shot put, Raven Sanders, qualified for his third Olympic Games last week at Hayward Field. Sanders has been through a lot of hardships throughout his long and rewarding career, making them extremely difficult for him.

Sanders was barred from competing for 18 months for failing an anti-doping whereabouts reporting requirement, but USADA notably did not find him guilty of taking performance-enhancing substances.

The Ole Miss alumni have been very vocal about depression and poverty throughout their careers, and despite being some of the most successful shot putters in America, they’ve faced many mental health and financial hardships, which makes their careers even more inspiring.

Sanders announced early on that this would be his final season as a track and field athlete. In the announcement, they, like Russell, spoke of their potential and committed to making it to Paris.

Sanders placed second to U.S. champion Chase Jackson, who threw 20.10 meters in his first Olympic appearance. Third place went to NCAA record holder and Bowerman finalist Jada Ross of the Oregon Ducks.

All three athletes are likely medal contenders in Paris: Jackson is the reigning world champion and has won the gold medal twice; Sanders won silver at the Tokyo Olympics and finished fifth in 2016; and Ross is one of seven American women in history to break 20 meters in the shot put.

Nikki Hiltz breaks 1500m Olympic Trials record to qualify for first Olympic Games

Nikki Hiltz was one of 13 runners to set meet records in Eugene. Hiltz won in 3:55.33, nearly four seconds faster than her personal best from last season. Hiltz won the U.S. title last year, where she set the best time of her career.

Given the circumstances of the 1500m race, most fans expected Elle St-Pierre to win. St-Pierre had a personal best of 3:56.00, far ahead of the other competitors. St-Pierre came into the race having won the 5000m earlier in the week. Her confidence was high, which was evident as she led for most of the 1500m final.

Hiltz is the type of runner who likes to catch up with others at a comfortable pace and then use all his remaining energy to win, and with that racing style, he knew his rivals would set a fast pace to tire him out.

Despite the intense pace, Hiltz took advantage of the situation and kicked into another gear. They entered the final 200 meters, trying to pass those in front of them. One by one, they took the lead and passed St. Pierre. As the finish line approached, Hiltz continued to pull away from his competitors and solidified his place in the gold medal.

St. Pierre took third place with a personal best time of 3:55.99. Second place went to New Balance athlete Emily MacKay, who also stunned everyone by breaking her personal best by four seconds with a time of 3:55.90.

What was most exciting was that eight of the twelve runners in the women’s 1500m final set personal bests.

Gabby Thomas leads world in 200m, James Corrigan solidifies U.S. Olympic berth

More spectacular performances were seen in the women’s 200m and men’s 300m steeplechase. As many fans expected, Gabby Thomas ran a world-leading time to once again claim the title for the United States. Newly turned professional adidas athlete Mackenzie Long and world silver medalist Brittany Brown will compete alongside Thomas in Paris. Unfortunately, world champion Shakari Richardson placed fourth overall and did not qualify for the team in the 200m. Richardson will compete in the 100m in Paris.

James Corrigan, a steeplechaser out of BYU who placed third at the Olympic Trials, had to challenge and meet the Olympic standard in order to compete in Paris. To qualify for the Olympics on the U.S. team, an athlete must finish in the top three and have a standard or world ranking citation. Corrigan flew to Philadelphia immediately after competing in Eugene to challenge the standard. Corrigan had a fairytale ending when he ran faster than the standard and was officially named to the Olympic team.

The official Team USA roster will be announced on July 8. Between now and the Olympics, athletes may compete in Diamond League races to continue preparing for the big stage. Olympic track and field begins on Aug. 1 with the 20-kilometer race walk.