The U.S. Olympic track and field trials concluded with two of Team USA’s biggest stars, Rai Benjamin and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.
The penultimate event was the men’s 400-meter hurdles with Benjamin. The 26-year-old hurdler led from start to finish, setting a meet record and world record time of 46.46.
But American track and field may have saved its best athlete for last – and McLaughlin-Levrone delivered.
The reigning Olympic champion and world record holder in the women’s 400 meter hurdles put on a dazzling display on the track, running virtually on her own. When McLaughlin-Levrone crossed the finish line, she quickly discovered that she had broken her previous world record with a time of 50.65 seconds.
McLaughlin-Levrone is the only woman in the history of the event to run under 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 and heads to first Olympics
Nikki Hiltz, a 29-year-old middle-distance runner who identifies as transgender and nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns, won the women’s 1,500 meters on Sunday at Hayward Field, narrowly edging out second- and third-place finishes to claim gold at the U.S. track and field trials.
Hiltz crossed the finish line in 3:55.33, narrowly edging out Emily Mackay (second, 3:55.90) and Elle St. Pierre (third, 3:55.99). Each of them achieved a personal best in the final.
Paris will be Hiltz’s first time competing in the Olympics. He won a silver medal at the World Indoor Championships earlier this year, in the 1,500 meters, in Glasgow, Scotland. This is the first time an American has won a medal in this event in 21 years.Lindsay Rapide
Alaysha Johnson in post-race interview: ‘This is for the neighborhood babies’
Emotions ran high on the track after the women’s 100m hurdles final.
Masai Russell shocked Hayward Field and the track and field world by winning in an impressive time of 12.25. Alaysha Johnson ran a personal best of 12.31 (12.302) to place second.
Johnson gave what was perhaps the most emotional post-race interview of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials.
“Everything was God. Everyone was always saying that I wasn’t good enough (and) that I didn’t deserve it. So, I did it my way, my team’s way and the way it was supposed to be,” Alaysha Johnson told Lewis Johnson. “It’s for the neighborhood babies, the people who are poor and who come from nothing, it’s for everyone who looks like me and has ever been doubted. And I did it with a black designer on my chest. This is what I stand for and I work hard for everyone in my position. −Tyler Dragon
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone breaks own 400m hurdles world record
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 final. McLaughlin-Levrone crossed the finish line in 50.65 seconds, then covered her mouth in shock when she saw 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) third and will join McLaughlin-Levrone in Paris. −Lindsay Rapide
Bryce Hoppel sets 800m meet record
Hoppel earned his ticket to Paris in the best possible way. He led both laps of the 800m and crossed the finish line in a meet record and personal best time of 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 with a time of 1:43.97. −Tyler Dragon
The battle between Grant Fisher and Abdihamid Nur will end in 5,000
Fisher and Nur ran stride for stride on the final lap of the men’s 5,000m. But Fisher nailed a final kick that gave him the victory, posting a meet record time of 13:08.85.
Nur was close behind in second, finishing in 13:09.01.
Parker Wolfe came in third, with a personal time of 13:10.75.
Fisher also won the 10,000m to qualify for the June 21 Olympics. −Tyler Dragon
Daniel Haugh wins the hammer
Haugh won the men’s hammer with a throw of 260 feet, 10 inches, his best throw of the season. Rudy Winkler came in second, with a throw of 258 feet, 10 inches.
Haugh and Winkler were the only two throwers in the competition to meet the Olympic standard.
Shelby McEwen wins men’s high jump
Shelby McEwen won the event with a jump of 7 feet, 6½ inches. McEwen was the only jumper in the competition who had the Olympic standard.
Could Quincy Wilson go to the Olympics?
Quincy Wilson, the 16-year-old sprint sensation who captivated the Hayward Field crowd when he reached the men’s 400 final, has an outside chance of traveling to Paris to compete in the men’s 4×400 relay pool.
Hall finished sixth in the 400m final with a time of 44.94. He holds the 24th fastest 400m time in the world this year, having clocked 44.59 on June 23 in the semi-finals of the trials. He said after the final that he would not stop training until he was sure his season was over, adding that he was not sure he could hope to make the relay group because these 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 early as Sunday evening – so the athletes can begin training together. −Lindsay Rapide
Will Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone set a new record?
McLaughlin-Levrone had the fastest time in the 400-meter hurdles semifinals on Saturday, clocking 52.48 to easily advance to the final on Sunday.
Every time McLaughlin-Levrone steps onto the track, she has the opportunity to set a world record, and some expect that to happen on Sunday. She is the reigning gold medalist and a big favorite to repeat her feat in Paris. McLaughlin-Levrone also won gold in the 4x400m in Tokyo, and is expected to make the relay team again.
Results for all Olympic Trials events
If you missed any of this week’s or last week’s events, we’ve got you covered with a list of results for the top 3 finishers in each event who will receive an automatic bid to the Paris Olympics.
Women’s 100 metres hurdles: tiebreaker
Christina Clemons and Keni Harrison clinched the two automatic qualifying spots in the first heat of the women’s 100-meter hurdles semifinal on Saturday. Clemons and Harrison both ran 12.52 seconds. But after review, Clemons was declared the winner by a slight margin.
Ironically, Alaysha Johnson and Tonea Marshall also crossed the line with the exact same time of 12.36 to pace the second semifinal. Johnson was named the winner after the review.
Masai Russell also posted a 12.36 to win the third and final semi-final.
Johnson, Marshall and Russell have the best qualifying times heading into Sunday’s final at 8 p.m. ET.
What time do the US Track and Field finals start on Sunday?
Sunday’s first final, the men’s hammer throw, will begin at 5:50 p.m. ET. The final event is the women’s 400 meter hurdles, scheduled for 8:29 p.m. ET.
How to watch the US Olympic track and field trials
All events are streaming live on Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com and the NBC and NBC Sports apps. NBC will broadcast Sunday’s finals from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.
WATCH: 2024 US Olympic Track and Field 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. – High Jump M Final
6:55 p.m. – M triple jump final
7:10 p.m. – Javelin F final
7:30 p.m. – M 5,000m Final
7:51 p.m. – M 800m Final
8 p.m. – 100m hurdles F final
8:09 p.m. – 1,500m F Final
8:20 p.m. – 400m hurdles final for men
8:29 p.m. – W 400m hurdles final