The 2024 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials, at Hayward Field in Oregon, have had no shortage of excitement so far—with both anticipated and unexpected triumphs. On Friday night, 16-year-old Quincy Wilson ran 44.66 seconds in the men’s 400m heat to both set a new under-18 world record (44.84, set by American Justin Robinson in 2019) and break a 42-year-old American record (44.69, set in 1982 by Darrell Robinson).
Wilson, a Grade 10 high school student, is now the second-fastest qualifier for the 400-metre semifinals Sunday (after 400m world champion Michael Norman); the top three finishers in the final, on Monday, will punch their ticket to Paris.
In 2023, the then-ninth-grade student Wilson made headlines when he won a U.S. junior national indoor 400m title at 15, racing against athletes three years older than him at the New Balance Nationals in Boston. “He trains harder than anyone I’ve ever seen,” Wilson’s coach, Joe Lee told The Washington Post post-race on Saturday. “This is just everyday work for us. Yes, he can do it. I think he’s got more in him.”
Superstar Sha’Carri is headed to Paris
The second night of the event saw Sha’Carri Richardson win the women’s 100m in a new world-leading time of 10.71 seconds. Richardson tripped near the start of her first heat, but still managed to charge past her competitors for the win in 10.88.
In 2021, Richardson also won the 100m at the U.S. Olympic Trials but tested positive for marijuana use shortly after and was not allowed to compete. Melissa Jefferson and Twanisha Terry, Richardson’s training partners, will be joining her in Paris after finishing in the top three.
A moment to remember! #TrackFieldTrials24 pic.twitter.com/zr8Jd3xyXe
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) June 23, 2024
Noah Lyles stays on the road to gold
Fan favourite and world champion Noah Lyles charged to the finish in the men’s 100m heat in 9.92, with Christian Coleman and Fred Kerley also winning their heats to secure spots in the semifinal. Earlier in June, Lyles appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to discuss his role in the upcoming Netflix documentary series “Sprint” and his goals for the Paris Olympics, where he confidently stated his ambition to achieve something no male track and field athlete has done before: win four gold medals at a single Olympics.
Sunday’s events feature the semifinals in the women’s 800 and the men’s 400m events, as well as the finals in the men’s 3,000m steeple and the women’s 400m; the men’s 100m semifinal and final event will both be held. For full results head here.
