The fastest athletes in the country will gather in Eugene, Oregon, at Hayward Field to accomplish one goal: to become an Olympian. As simple as the goal sounds, extreme levels of difficulty are attached to the task. With fields totaling around 30 athletes, only three per event will be able to add Olympian next to their name by the end of next week. Here is a guide to how Olympic qualifications work and a few of the most exciting stories ahead of Paris.
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How To Qualify For The 2024 Paris Olympics
Before attempting to qualify for Paris, American athletes must qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials. This meet is ten days long and takes athletes through several rounds of competition to see who is best fit to represent Team USA at the Olympics.
Qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Trials can seem complicated to casual viewers. There are several ways to punch your ticket to Hayward Field, but the simplest way is to meet the U.S. qualifying standard mark. For example, if you are a woman who competes in the 800-meter, running 2:00.50 or faster will automatically qualify you for the trials. All that athletes would have to do is declare, which means confirm they are racing. The qualification standards for all events are on the USATF website.
If there are not enough athletes to achieve the desired field size, other spots are filled with athletes who hit the minimum standard mark. However, if the field size is still not large enough, including both automatic and minimum athletes, they will leave the field size as it is. More information about this can also be found on the USATF website linked above.
Once the fields are set, athletes will complete a series of rounds to determine the top three individuals who make it to Paris. It is important to note that even if an athlete places in the top three in their event, there is a possibility they will not be an Olympian. Olympic hopefuls must also hit the Olympic qualifying standards on top of finishing in the top three in their event. The Olympic qualifying standards are posted on the Olympic website.
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Sha'Carri Richardson And Noah Lyles Looking To Secure Their First Olympic Gold Medals
The biggest star of the 100-meter dash is newly crowned world champion and Nike athlete Sha'Carri Richardson. Last year at the World Athletics Outdoor Championships in Budapest, Richardson went home with three medals: gold in the 100-meter dash and 4x100-meter relay and bronze in the 200-meter. Richardson's personal best is 10.65 seconds, which is the fastest of all her competitors in the field.
Richardson is not new to the Olympic Trials stage. In 2021, Richardson became the U.S. champion at the trials but did not compete in Tokyo due to a failed drug test involving marijuana. Since then, Richardson has done everything she can to rack up every medal and win. She hopes to officially compete at her first Olympics and become the first American woman to win Olympic gold in the 100-meter dash since Gail Devers in 1996.
Looking to make the team with her will be a slew of impressive names. 60-meter dash American record holder Aleia Hobbs was in great form ahead of the trials. McKenzie Long from Ole Miss just came off a gold medal hot streak at the NCAA championships, where she completed the triple crown in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, and 4x100-meter relay. World Champions such as Abby Steiner, Melissa Jefferson, and Twanisha "TeeTee" Terry have displayed dominance over the past several seasons. All eyes will, of course, turn to the current world leader in the 100-meter dash and Tennessee senior, Jacious Sears.
No major championship story is complete without the showman himself, Noah Lyles. Lyles will go for double gold in the 100-meter and 200-meters at the Paris Olympics.
Lyles most confidently has the 200-meter dash on lock. He is the American record holder and three-time world champion in the event. He also won a bronze medal in the 200-meter dash during the Tokyo Olympics.
Looking to join him in Paris will be Kenny Bednarek, Erriyon Knighton, and Fred Kerley. Bednarek currently has the world lead at 19.67 seconds. This time is better than when he ran to silver in Tokyo. Knighton is one of the youngest competitors. This Olympian made his first team at 17 years old and was just one spot off the podium in 2021. Although Kerley is the 2022 world champion in the 100-meter dash, he has yet to reach the podium in the 200-meter dash at a major championship.
Christian Coleman, Christian Miller, and Kendal Williams are the next three fastest guys behind Lyles, who will be looking to stop him from making it to Paris in the 100-meter dash. Coleman has already beaten Lyles this season at the World Athletics Indoor Championship in the 60-meter dash, making this battle one to watch. Both men have tied season-bests of 9.83 seconds.
18-year-old and incoming Georgia freshman Miller has won over fans' hearts. With a time of 9.93, he sits number three on the U.S. list. In an interview during New Balance Nationals Outdoor last week, Miller expressed that he is humble yet confident in his abilities to make the team. Even Olympic greats such as Ato Boldon said he would not be surprised if Miller made his first team this year.
16-year-old Maryland native Quincy Wilson is another high school athlete looking to upset some Olympic veterans. At 16, Wilson has accomplished a wide range of high school and age group records. He ran his personal best in the 400-meter dash last weekend at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor meet. Although it is just shy of the Olympic qualifying standard, Wilson still has the opportunity to achieve it in Eugene. If not, but he manages to make the finals, he will be considered for the relay pool.
The 1500-meter And Pole Vault Show To Be The Hardest Events To Qualify In
If fans are looking to make predictions about the 1500-meter, they will be in for the most difficult decision of their life. In this field alone, there are three Tokyo Olympians, four U.S. championships, eight sub-4 minute athletes, and several all-time top ten runners. The most unfortunate reality is that someone will run extremely fast but be left home.
Elle St. Pierre is the reigning Olympic Trials champion and has the American lead at 3:56.00. St. Pierre cannot rest in her previous accomplishments as Nikki Hiltz, Elise Cranney, and Sinclaire Johnson are also U.S. Champions. These athletes will make securing a spot to Paris challenging for everyone else.
The men's pole vault is full of Olympic experience. Olympian and outdoor American record holder KC Lightfoot placed fourth at the Tokyo Olympics. Olympic silver medalist, 3-time world medalist, and indoor pole vault American record holder Chris Nilsen will be looking to make this team with Lightfoot. Fans must also keep up with former American record holder Sam Kendricks. Kendricks has an Olympic bronze medal and four world medals. This event will be a challenging event to crack for anyone who wishes to make Team USA.
Trayvon Bromell And Britton Wilson Among Stars To Miss The U.S. Olympic Trials
Although many deserving athletes will attempt their Olympic dreams in Eugene, several will be missed.
Two-time Olympian Trayvon Bromell is the first notable athlete who will not contest the 2024 U.S. Trials due to injury. Bromell was the 2016 world indoor champion in the 60-meter dash. He's acquired two bronze medals at the World Athletics Outdoor Championships in the 100-meter dash. Additionally, he's made appearances at the Rio and Tokyo Olympics and placed in the top eight in Rio. His personal best in the 100-meter dash is 9.76 seconds, which he ran in 2021.
Bromell has unfortunately dealt with periodic injuries throughout his career, but as his resume shows, this does not stop him from competing at the highest level once he recovers.
4x400-meter relay world champion Britton Wilson is another strong athlete who will not make it to Hayward Field due to injury. Last year, Wilson broke the American record in the indoor 400-meter dash, which was three-thousandths of a second off the world record. Wilson then lowered the collegiate record to 49.13 seconds in the 400-meter dash during the outdoor season. Her experience also includes competing in the 2022 and 2023 World Athletics Outdoor Championships.
More stars that will miss the trials include Kaila Jackson, Kayla White, T'Mars McCallum, and Michael Cherry. Jackson is a Georgia sophom*ore with a personal best of 10.95 seconds in the 100-meter dash. White qualified for the World Athletics Outdoor Championships in the 200-meter dash last year with a 22.01 seconds personal best. The Tennessee sophom*ore McCallum held the fastest time in the U.S. men's 100-meter dash for a large portion of the season with his personal best of 9.94 seconds.
Cherry is an Olympic champion, two-time world champion, and world silver medalist. His specialty is the 400-meter dash, where his personal best is 44.03 seconds. His speed and grit were vital to Team USA's relays for some time. His reason for not competing is also injury.
While the dress rehearsal for the most difficult competition of the year revs up, fans and spectators can keep up with the excitement in several ways. The results link and the broadcast schedule are posted here. The U.S. Olympic Trials will be broadcast on NBC and Peaco*ck from June 21st through June 30th.
