The 2024 US Olympic Track and Field Trials are almost upon us. The only thing better than the Trials in Eugene is a prediction contest to make them even more exciting. So enter now, then spread the word to your friends and get them to enter as well. Entries close at 6:20 pm ET Friday night.
Archived Homepage For June 21, 2024
Archived Homepage For June 21, 2024
2024 US Olympic Track & Field Trials Start Friday
2024 US Olympic Track & Field Trials Start Friday
Plus can Matthew Centrowitz make a 4th Olympic team at his final Trials?
We share the 6 biggest storylines for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials — Track & Field. Who is the fastest man and woman in America? Can SML and Grant Holloway break the WRs? How do Athing Mu and Ryan Crouser look in their 2024 outdoor debuts? And what happens in the greatest event in track - the men's 1500?
Parker Valby has dominated the NCAA level in 2024 but can she run away from everyone at the pro ranks? If not, does she have the kick needed to make the team?
Right now, Sha'Carri Richardson and Noah Lyles are favorites for Olympic gold. Will that still be the case after this weekend's 100s? Could 18-year-old Christian Miller really make the team? What shoes will Fred Kerley wear?
The first final of the 2024 US Olympic Trials features four studs -- Fisher, Young, Woody Kincaid, Paul Chelimo -- vying for three spots to Paris.
Non-LRC US Olympic Trials Coverage
- Recommeded Read: Scott Reid reveals that no other cities bid for Olympic Trials other than Eugene Reid's piece starts with history and how Eugene beat out LA for the 1972 Trials in a huge shock. Now, the other cities aren't even bidding as they can't compete with Eugene's resources which are bolstered by Nike. "Eugene is so powerful, we feel like we can’t compete with them. So (bidding) becomes a, ‘Why are we spinning our wheels kind of thing?’” said Greg Edwards, president and CEO of the Des Moines Area Sports Commission.
- Disappointing: USATF won't let the #1 HS pole vaulted in country into Trials even though she'd be seeded #12 as HS meets are sanctioned by USATF You can discuss this on our world-famous messageboard here.
- Elle St Pierre and the entire New Balance team team are thriving with her as a mom In this 2,000+ word feature by RW, we learn that St. Pierre's son Ivan is beloved by all and a grounding influence even for those who aren't moms like Emily Mackay. "Honestly, it feels grounding to me as well. It’s a nice reminder, having him around, how much bigger life is than just running.”
- Reuters: "American fan favourite Sha'Carri Richardson will look to add another chapter to her comeback story"
- TFN's final women's predictions
- TFN's final men's predictions
- Amazing US Olympic Trials Historical Stats All results, all-time lists, etc.
On The Boards
On The Boards
The Latest on Knighton
- WADA says it hasn't decided if it will appeal Knighton being cleared to run "Once Wada has the full reasoned decision, it will study that, along with the case file, with its usual scepticism and diligence," a Wada spokesperson BBC Sport.
- WADA rips Travis Tygart & Tygart fires back WADA is still pissed Tygart ripped them for clearing 23 Chinese swimmers and said, "If this had been an athlete in China, we dare to think that Mr Tygart would be singing a different tune, and very loudly," but Tygart was having none of it and responded, "Unlike the China TMZ 23, in this case, as the rules required, we provisionally suspend the athlete, presented the issues before an independent arbitrator, and publicly announced the outcome. It is sad to see but Wada has truly lost it and is crumbling before the world’s eyes."
Knighton had been provisionally suspended since April 12 after testing positive for the banned substance trenbolone -- the same substance for which Jarrion Lawson was banned (and subsequently cleared). Article includes statements from USADA head Travis Tygart as well as Knigton's lawyer Howard Jacobs.
News From Europe
- 2024 World Athletics Gold Bydgoszcz Recap- Andrews Kramer (1:44.08), Freweyni Haily (3:58.89) over Linden Hall (3:58.96), Natalia Kaczmarek (49.86) and more Leonardo Fabbri also set a meet record in the shot (22.38). *
- Sonia O’Sullivan asks journalists to stop asking Rhasidat Adeleke about some racist online abuse she received on social media "If you want to find something negative about yourself on the internet, you can find it. You just have to look for it, but why would you go looking for something that’s not going to be of benefit to you? As athletes and as supporters, [and] coaches, we need to promote the positives and the things that help the athletes and not drag them down with negative stories and asking them negative questions. And I think the best advice I would give to any journalist is to say: don’t ask Rhasidat questions about this. Why do you need to ask her these questions? Then you’re just making her relive something that obviously isn’t beneficial.”
Non Olympic Trials News of Note
- 100 years ago, Paavo Nurmi became the 1st man to hold the 1500 and 5000 WRs at the same time and he ran both races 55 minutes apart He ran 3:52 for 1500 (going out in 57) and 14:28 in the 5000.
- Tuvalu, population 11,000, will once again be sending Karalo Maibuca to run the 100m at the Olympics The 25-year-old, who used to train in the airport runway, hopes to improve his 11.42 pb.
- Brett Larner breaks down the potential Japanese Olympic team He lists who has the standard or ranking for ALL of the events.
- Jakob Ingebrigtsen signs up for 1500 at Norwegian champs, Filip will run 1500/5000
- Eliud Kipchoge signs another endorsement deal Shokz headphones is the company this time.
- Kenyan javelin star and Olympic silver medallist Julius Yego doesn't have javelin standard for Paris And he's currently ranked #32 and they only go down to #32.
Distance News
- Justyn Knight Still Dealing With Injury, Will Miss Canadian Trials And Paris Games Knight hasn't raced since the Tokyo Olympic 5000m where he finished 7th. He's been dealing with an Achilles injury ever since and had surgery last year.
- World Athletics' Inside Track Episode With Selemon Barega Barega's parents didn't want him to become a runner because they wanted him to focus on education.
- Kenya's 2008 Olympic 800m Champion Wilfred Bungei Explains How Fear Of Poverty After Retirement Pushed Him To Go Back To School
- RIP: Former Scottish National Champion And Commonwealth Games 1500m Finalist Alastair Hay Dies At 38-Years-Old
Olympic News
- Ralph Lauren Unveils USA Olympic Opening/Closing Ceremony Outfits The opening ceremony outfit includes blue denim jeans with a navy blue blazer.
- Olympic News Site InsideTheGames Say They've Been Banned From Paris 2024 Due To Russian Ownership Concerns The website was previously based in England and run by a British sports journalist for 18 years, but was sold last year.
- New Report Warns Of The Danger Of A Heat Wave At The Paris Summer Olympics One study found that Paris had the highest heat-related death rates of 854 European towns and cities due to lack of green spaces and dense population.
*World Athletics article The report included a foreword written by Seb Coe. - Paris Organizers' Promise To Make 2024 The "Greenest Olympics" Faces Challenges From The Athletes To lower their carbon footprint, the Olympic Village won't have air conditioning, but many teams/athletes are going to bring their own AC units anyway. Who would have thought the athletes wouldn't want to sleep/recover through Paris summer heat during the most important competitions of their lives?
- IOC Going To Use AI To Automatically Erase "Abusive (Social Media) Posts To Shield Athletes"
- For The First Time Since Athens 2004, There Will Be No Brownlee Brother On The British Olympic Triathlon Team
Paavo Nurmi Games
- Olympic 100m Champ Marcell Jacobs Runs Under 10 Seconds In Both His Heat And Final To Win At The Paavo Nurmi Games Jacobs ran 9.99 in the heats and then won the final in 9.92 (the third fastest time of his career). Sweden’s Andreas Kramer won the 800m in 1:44.65 over Ireland’s Mark English (who broke his own NR with 1:44.69). Ireland went 1-2 in the 1500m won by Cathal Doyle (3:34.09) ahead of Luke McCann (3:34.32). Gabriela Gajanova took the women's 800m (1:59.57) and Omar McLeod (13.29) and Nia Ali (12.48) the sprint hurdles.
*MB: Marcell Jacobs runs twice under 10 in Turku
The Madness Needs To Stop
- Lake Oswego Coach Says District Ousted Him After Pushed Change In Transgender Athlete Law A coach writing a nice letter to state officials should not be fired.
*MB: Lake Oswego Coach Fired (for doing the right thing) - writing letters to state officials advocating for change to laws pertaining to transgender athletes - Washington Times: "Girls Left In Dust As Male Born Transgender Athletes Take State Track Titles In Five States" The other side of this debate will tell you it's not happening and if it does happen, you're not supposed to complain about it.
*MB: Girls left in the dust as male-born transgender athletes win state track titles in 5 states
Olympic Tattoos
From Kara Goucher to Clayton Murphy, Evan Jager to Andrew Wheating, dozens of US Olympians have the Olympic rings on their body. Here are their stories.
Michael Johnson's Plan
The league has signed up Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who has only run 4 Diamond Leagues in her life, to commit to doubling at 4 meets a year. There will be six event groups per sex (no field events) with 48 athletes getting base contracts to double in all four meets (one in LA, other locations TBD). Winners of the combined events scoring will get $100k per meet down to $10k for 8th. The first meet is scheduled for April 2025. What's surprising is the events groups are totally siloed off. So with this format, Michael Johnson would never have faced his 200m rivals Frankie Fredericks or Ato Boldon in the 200 as Johnson would be in the 200/400 group and Boldon/Fredericks in the 100/200 group. So Sydney will never face Marileidy Paulino or Athing Mu in the 400 as they'll be in the 200/400 and 800/1500 groups while she'll be in the 400h/400 group.
RIP
Competing against legends Kipchoge Keino and Ron Clarke in the 1964 Olympic final in Tokyo, Schul used a 38.7-second final 300m to win an iconic gold medal. His daughter confirmed his death to LetsRun.
Sprint Updates
- Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Scratches From Olympic Trials 400m And 200m, Will Only Run 400 Hurdles It was unlikely she was going to double at the Olympics since the schedules for the 400H and flat 400m overlap.
- Jamaica's Elaine Thompson-Herah Won't Defend Her Olympic 200m Title In Paris She's not racing the 200m at the Jamaica Trials, only the 100m. This after limping off the track with an injury at the NYC Grand Prix earlier in the month.
- Asafa Powell Questions Necessity Cardboard "Anti-Sex" Beds At The Paris Olympics Powell said, “This is not high school. We are adults. ...Why are you conditioning them not to do as they wish? Even when you walk into the Championships (Village), the first thing you see is a room stacked with condoms. ...For your elite athletes who are trying to win gold medals and are training for four years just to go sleep on cardboard boxes? It sounds very weird.”
The Rules Should Be Consistent
Currently World Athletics doesn't allow athletes to use road super shoes (like the Nike Vaporfly) on the track, but the NCAA does which makes no sense. Of course, it also makes no sense that WA allows super shoes on the roads but not track.
NCAA Coaching / AOY News
- 2004 Olympic 100H Champ Joanna Hayes Hired As UCLA Head Coach Hayes previously coached Sydney McLaughlin when she first turned pro.
*MB: UCLA track/xc director
- Former Heps 800m Champ Courtney Jaworski Hired As New Yale Head Coach
- T&F News Chooses And Parker Valby And NCAA Decathlon Champ Leo Neugebauer As Their Collegiate Outdoor Athletes Of The Year
- USTFCCCA Names Their NCAA Outdoor Athletes Of The Year Parker Valby and 400 hurdler Caleb Dean on the track, Leo Neugebauer and shot put champ Jaida Ross for field events.
Who Should Get A Contract?
In the NBA draft, there are 14 lottery picks. Here are the 14 top mid-d and distance talents that should come off the board and get signed by the shoe execs.
Sponsorship / Training Group News
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Sprint Stuff
- Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Opens Her Season With A 11.15 Victory In Jamaica The Jamaica national champs start in less than two weeks.
- Femke Bol Predicts "Nice Battle" With Sydney McLaughlin-Lovrone In Paris 400H Bol's PR is .77 slower than McLaughlin's WR.
- Japan Women's Under 20 100m Record Goes Down At Japan Natinoal University Champs (Aiha Yamagata 11.41)
Kenyan Trials Day 2
That's passes Seb Coe for #3 on the all-time list and fastest since David Rudisha ran his WR in 2012. Wycliffe Kinyamal was runner-up in 1:42.50.
Nike Outdoor Nationals, USATF U20 Champs, New Balance & Adidas Outdoors Are All Going On
Daniel Simmons (8:38) and Logan St. John Kletter (9:58) won the 2 miles.
- Sophomore Sprint Star Quincy Wilson Sets Another 400m PB With 45.13 At NBNO The time puts him #2 on the US under-18 list and #7 on the prep all-time list. Christian Miller ran 9.95 in the semifinal, but was a DNS in the final, leaving the win to Zamarii Sanders (10.27).
- Crater High School Boys Break National HS DMR Record At New Balance They ran 9:44.30 to win over Ridgefield High's 9:44.44 and break the previous record of 9:49.78 which included Alan Webb on the anchor. The Montverde Academy girls ran 3:31.68 to break the 4x400 national HS record.
- USATF Recap: BYU's Wyatt Haughton Breaks One Of The Oldest Meet Records With 8:48 Steeple Win At U20 Champs
- USATF U20 Champs: Harvard's Sophia Gorriaran Wins 800m In 2:01.90
- Seth Norder Gets Upset Mile Win At Nike Outdoor Nationals He ran 4:02.20 to win over sub-4 miler JoJo Jourdon (4:02.81).
- Jane Hedengren Wins Nike Outdoor Nationals Mile In 4:38.50 Over Elizabeth Leachman (4:44.06) Celeste Robinson highlighted the sprints winning the 200m in 22.82.
- Addison Dorenkamp Wins Nike 2 Mile In 9:59; Ella McRitchie Clears 14.38m To Win Pole Vault
- MB: Adidas nationals boys 2 mile champion: 9:30
Euro Champs Catch Up
Did you miss the Euros last week? Were you a bit distracted by that big meet they have out in Eugene? That’s ok, we were too. Read for a quick recap of the action.
- Rome 2024 By The Numbers Jakob Ingebrigtsen became the first male athlete in championship history to win six European Champs gold medals.
Ethiopian Olympic Trials
Olympic champion Selemon Barega was third in 26:34.93 while 17-year-old Biniam Mehary broke Sammy Wanjiru's world under-20 record in 4th (26:37.93). In the women's race, Fotyen Tesfay won in 29:47.71 over 2023 world XC silver medalist Tsigie Gebreselama (29:49.33) and world bronze medalist Ejgayehu Taye 3rd (29:50.52).
Previous HS Championship News
Miller ran 9.93 last month. What will he do in the final on Saturday?
*MB: Christian Miller 9.95 @ NBON
Kenyan Olympic Trials Day 1
Kipyegon crushed 10k WR holder Beatrice Chebet by 6 seconds while Moraa lost to Lilian Odira and Reynold Cheruiyot edged out Daniel Munguti and Timothy Cheruiyot.
- MB: Official 2024 Kenyan Olympic Trials Live Discussion Thread. The men's 1500 was epic. Wanyonyi fell in the 800 heats and more. Watch the day 1 races above.
- MB Faith Kipyegon DOMINATES 5k at Kenyan Olympic Trials
- MB Stunner at Kenyan Trials 1500, Reynold wins, Munguti 2nd, Tim 3rd
- AK announces Kenya 10,000m teams day before Trials start The discretionary spots went to third placers at the Pre 10,000 - Margaret Chelimo and Bernard Kibet - as 2023 worlds silver medallist Daniel Ebenyo was left off.
- Kenyan selectors say they liked Kibet as he's a selfless runner who often pushes the pace for others "We all saw how Bernard did his best especially when the lights had gone..If we go back to Budapest (2023), he is also the one who played a big role for us to get the silver medal (in the men’s 10,000m)."
- Kenyan Olympic Trials Schedule & Possilbe Live Stream The meet is Friday - Saturday and the first event - women's 5000 - is at 3 am ET.
- Faith Kipyegon pictured smiling while training for this week's Olympic Trials where she will make 2024 debut
Pre Pre Classic News
If you turned into the broadcast portion of the pre-race conference expecting fireworks, you left disappointed but things got a bit spicy when LRC talked to them individually afterwards as Ingebrigtsen clearly was bothered by Kerr's podcast criticisms of him, calling them a "coward move."
Workout Analysis
Jakob's recent 12 x 400, 10 x 200 workout has generated a lot of buzz. What do the LRC coaches think about it? They are most impressed by something hardly anyone is talking about.
10 Years With LRC
This weekend's Prefontaine Classic marks 10 years since Jonathan Gault's first meet for LetsRun.com. He reflects on what he learned from his first trip to Eugene to cover David Rudisha and Galen Rupp in 2014.
- MB: We celebrate Jonathan Gault's 10 years at LetsRun.com!! Show your appreciation by signing up for the Supporters Club today as all $$ this week go directly to him.
Time Flies When You Are Having Fun
After a decade with LetsRun.com, Jonathan Gault counts down his 10 favorite races he has seen in-person. Usain Bolt, Matthew Centrowitz, and Jakob Ingebrigtsen all make appearances - who claims the #1 spot?
Other Links That Passed Our Human Vetters
- Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone to run the 400m hurdles for the first time since August 2022 next weekend at Edwin Moses Legends Meet
- Kenny Bednarek is very thankful for his mom who adopted him and 3 others + reveals he wants to meet Usain Bolt to pick his brain
- Serbian long jumper Ivana Spanovic has won gold everywhere but the Olympics - can she do it at age 34 in her 5th Olympics
The King is Back at the Olympics
Twenty years after his first Olympic gold and 12 years after his last Olympic appearance, Bekele will return to face Eliud Kipchoge on the sport's biggest stage in Paris.
Rest In Peace: Henry Rono 1952-2024
Rono achieved legendary status in 1978 when he set four world records in four different events in 81 days. Robert Johnson, who has an autographed poster of Rono on his office wall, pays his respects.
Past MB Talk On Rono
- 2004: 2006: Henry Rono
- 2006: Henry Rono training for masters mile record. PART II link fixed This was a 186 long page thread where Rono talked about his training.
- 2007: Was Henry Rono the greatest distance talent ever???
- 2013: Henry Rono
- 2003: How Henry Rono beat Alberto Salazar (Good Read)
- 2020: The HENRY RONO Base of Yore
RIP Kelvin Kiptum
In just three races, Kiptum turned the marathon world upside down, setting a world record, and running the three fastest second halves ever in a marathon. Jonathan Gault recaps his life and career.
- MB: RIP: Marathon WR Kelvin Kiptum has died in a car accident at the age of 24
- MB: Kelvin Kiptum's final 2 training sessions - 35km long run on Thursday, 18.6 km fartlek on Saturday
- MB: Kiptum's father: "Strange people looked for him 4 days before his death" Kiptum's father says the four men said they were from the State House, but could not produce identification to prove it. He now wants the Kenyan government to investigate.
BetterRunningShoes.com Presents
We present to you the LetsRun.com Shoe Awards for 2023. What is the best shoe of 2023, the supershoe of 2023, the newcomer of the year and more?
Everyone's still looking for an edge
Kelvin Kiptum, Faith Kipyegon, Keely Hodgkinson and everyone in the OAC are among the stars who experimented with Maurten Bicarb System in 2023 ($65 for 4 doses). The big question: does it work? (paywall lifted)
BetterRunningShoes.com
We think most of you could guess the #1 brand, but the #2 might be a surprise. We break down the most popular brands overall, and for road, trail, and racing.
Paywall lifted!
Paywall lifted!
The Latest JG Feature
What links Jakob Ingebrigtsen, the NAU cross country team, and Sebastian Coe? Double threshold training, which is having a moment in 2023. Note, most of this article is behind our SC paywall for 72 hours (until Saturday).
Your latest American stars share their insights.
American Record Holders
American Record Holders
Keira D'Amato, the new American record holder in the marathon, was joined by Deena Kastor, who held the record for 15 years.
Sisson was the guest on the LetsRun.com Track Talk podcast after she became the first American to go sub 67 in the half marathon on a record-eligible course. Podcast highlights above. Full pod here.
Woody Kincaid joined us after he broke the American record indoors at 5000. He talks above why he left the Bowerman Track Club. Podcast highlights and link to full podcast here.
Coogan's New Balance Boston team had 3 Olympians in 2021 and 2022 could be the biggest year yet for the program with 2 new additions and the TRACK at New Balance coming on March 1st.
Danny Mackey has taken the Brooks Beasts from an unproven club to the Olympic podium in its first decade.
Dathan Ritzenhein is the first of the top pro coaches to sit down and talk about his club heading into the 2022 campaign.
Best of Jon Gault
Best of Jon Gault
Take Your Love of LetsRun to the Next Level
Take Your Love of LetsRun to the Next Level
LetsRun Classics
LetsRun Classics
