The U.S. Olympic track and field trials concluded with two of Team USA’s biggest stars in Rai Benjamin and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.
The penultimate event was the men’s 400-meter hurdles featuring Benjamin. The 26-year-old hurdler led from start to finish as he posted a meet record and world-leading time of 46.46.
But U.S. track and field saved perhaps its best athlete for last – and McLaughlin-Levrone delivered.
The defending Olympic champion and world-record holder in the women’s 400-meter hurdles put on a dazzling display around the track, basically running by herself. When McLaughlin-Levrone crossed the finish line she quickly found out she had broken her previous world record with a time of 50.65.
McLaughlin-Levrone is the only woman in the history of the event to run sub-51 seconds in the 400 hurdles.
McLaughlin-Levrone and Benjamin highlighted what was an exciting final day at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials:
Nikki Hiltz wins 1,500, headed to first Olympics
Nikki Hiltz, a 29-year-old mid-distance specialist who identifies as transgender and non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, won the women’s 1,500 Sunday at Hayward Field, narrowly edging out the second and third place finishers to take gold at the U.S. track and field trials.
Hiltz crossed the line in 3:55.33, a sliver in front of Emily Mackay (second, 3:55.90) and Elle St. Pierre (third, 3:55.99). Each ran a personal best in the final.
Paris will be Hiltz’s first Olympics. They won a silver medal at the Indoor World Championships earlier this year in the 1,500 in Glasgow, Scotland, the first time an American has won a medal in that event in 21 years. −Lindsay Quick
Alaysha Johnson in postrace interview: ‘This is for the hood babies’
Emotions spilled over on the track following the women’s 100-meter hurdle final.
Masai Russell shocked the Hayward Field stadium and the track and field world by winning in an impressive time of 12.25. Alaysha Johnson ran a personal-best 12.31 (12.302) to place second.
Johnson who had what was perhaps the most emotional postrace interview of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials.
“It was all God. Everybody all the time said I wasn’t good enough (and) said that I didn’t deserve. So, I did this my way, my team’s way and the way it was meant to be,” Alaysha Johnson said to Lewis Johnson. “This is for the hood babies, the people who are poor and come from nothing, this is for everybody that looks like me that was ever doubted. And I did it with a Black designer on my chest. This is what I stand for and I’m making a way for everybody in my position.” −Tyler Dragon
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone breaks her own world record in 400 hurdles
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone continued her dominance in the women’s 400 hurdles, setting (another) world record Sunday at Hayward Field in the U.S. Olympic track and field trials finale. McLaughlin-Levrone crossed the finish line in 50.65 seconds, then covered her mouth in shock upon seeing her time.
McLaughlin-Levrone’s previous world record, also set at Hayward Field, was 50.68, which she ran at the 2022 World Championships.
Anna Cockrell (52.64) was second and Jasmine Jones (52.77) was third and will join McLaughlin-Levrone in Paris. −Lindsay Quick
Bryce Hoppel sets meet record in 800
Hoppel stamped his ticket to Paris in a big way. Hoppel led both laps in the 800 and crossed the finish line running a meet record and personal-best 1:42.77.
Hoppel’s training partner, Hobbs Kessler, came in second place with a personal-best time of 1:43.64.
Brandon Miller took the third and final qualifying spot, running a 1:43.97. −Tyler Dragon
Grant Fisher, Abdihamid Nur battle to end in 5,000
Fisher and Nur were running stride for stride in the final lap of the men’s 5000. But Fisher had one last kick that got him the win as he posted a meet record time of 13:08.85.
Nur was right behind in second, finishing in 13:09.01.
Parker Wolfe came in third, running a personal-best 13:10.75.
Fisher also won the 10,000 to qualify for the Olympics on June 21. −Tyler Dragon
Daniel Haugh wins hammer
Haugh won the men’s hammer with a season-best throw of 260 feet, 10 inches. Rudy Winkler came in second, throwing 258 feet, 10 inches.
Haugh and Winkler were the only two throwers in the competition with the Olympic standard.
Shelby McEwen wins men’s high jump
Shelby McEwen won the event, leaping 7 feet, 6½ inches. McEwen was the only jumper in the competition with the Olympic standard.
Could Quincy Wilson go to the Olympics?
Quincy Wilsonthe 16-year-old sprinting sensation who captivated the Hayward Field crowd when he made the final in the men’s 400, has an outside shot at going to Paris to make the men’s 4×400 relay pool.
Hall finished sixth in the 400 final with a time of 44.94. He has the 24th fastest 400 time in the world this year, having clocked a 44.59 on June 23 at the trials semifinals. He said after the final that he wasn’t going to stop training until he knew for sure his season was over, adding that he wasn’t sure if he should expect to make the relay pool because those decisions are “so political.”
The relay pool is decided by relay coaches Mike Marsh and Mechelle Freeman. They will announce the team no later than July 8, but athletes and their individual coaches will be notified sooner — potentially as soon as late Sunday night — so athletes can start practicing together. −Lindsay Quick
Will Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone set another record?
McLaughlin-Levrone had the fastest time in the 400-meter hurdles semifinals Saturdayclocking a 52.48 to easily advance to the finals Sunday.
Every time McLaughlin-Levrone steps on the track there’s a chance she could set a world record, and some expect that to happen Sunday. She is the defending gold medalist and a heavy favorite to repeat in Paris. McLaughlin-Levrone also has a gold in the 4×400 from Tokyo, and is expected to be on that relay team again.
Results for all events of the Olympic trials
If you missed any of the events this week or last, we have you covered with a list of results for the top 3 finishers in each event who will be get an automatic bid to the Paris Olympics.
Women’s 100-meter hurdles: Breaking ties
Christina Clemons and Keni Harrison took the two automatic qualifying spots in the first heat of the women’s 100-meter hurdles semifinal Saturday. Clemons and Harrison both ran a 12.52. But upon review, Clemons was deemed the winner by a slight margin.
Ironically, Alaysha Johnson and Tonea Marshall also crossed the finish line with the exact same time of 12.36 to pace the second semifinal heat. Johnson was named the winner after the review.
Masai Russell also posted a 12.36 to win the third and final semifinal heat.
Johnson, Marshall and Russell have the top qualifying times entering Sunday’s final at 8 p.m. ET.
What time do US track and field finals begin Sunday?
The first final Sunday, the men’s hammer throw, begins at 5:50 p.m. ET. The last event is the women’s 400-meter hurdles scheduled for 8:29 p.m. ET.
How to watch the US track and field Olympic trials
All events are streamed live on Peacock, NBCOlympics.comNBC.com and the NBC and NBC Sports apps. NBC will broadcast Sunday’s finals from 7:30-8:30 p.m.
WATCH: 2024 U.S. Track & Field Olympic Trials FREE on Fubo
Olympic trials schedule today
5:50 p.m. – M hammer final
6:15 p.m. – W pole vault final
6:30 p.m. – M high jump final
6:55 p.m. – M triple jump final
7:10 p.m. – W javelin final
7:30 p.m. – M 5,000m final
7:51 p.m. – M 800m final
8 p.m. – W 100m hurdles final
8:09 p.m. – W 1,500m final
8:20 p.m. – M 400m hurdles final
8:29 p.m. – W 400m hurdles final
