TOPSHOT - Second-placed USA's Noah Lyles celebrates after competing in the Men's 60m final during ... [+]
The U.S. Track & Field Olympic Trials took place almost a week ago. June 30th was the last day for all Olympic hopefuls to get qualifying marks that would allow them to compete in Paris.
By that day, it was almost set in stone for all who would represent Team USA in their respective events. However, the official list still needed to be named depending on scratches, world rankings, and relay pool discretions. Today, Team USA released the official list of the 120 athletes who have a chance to fight for gold.
Noah Lyles And Kenny Bednarek Only American Sprinters To Contest The 100-Meter & 200-Meter Double In Paris
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 04: (L-R) Bronze medalist Noah Lyles of Team United States and silver ... [+]
Noah Lyles and Kenny Bednarek were the only men to qualify for the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash at the Olympic Trials. Joining them in the 100-meter dash will be Olympic silver medalist Fred Kerley. The 200-meter dash will have 20-year old and now two-time Olympian Erriyon Knighton.
The medal chances of all four men are relatively strong moving into Paris. Lyles is the reigning world champion in both events. Bednarek is the reigning Olympic silver medalist and has already run a lifetime best this season, which is faster than what he ran to win his silver medal. In addition to Kerley's Olympic medal, he was the world champion in the 100-meter dash in 2022. Knighton placed fourth in the 200-meter dash during the Tokyo Olympics and has medaled in every major championship since then.
While the men will have two athletes attempting gold medal doubles, the women will have none. This will be the first time since 2004 that the U.S. women's short sprint events will have six different competitors.
Sha'Carri Richardson, most notably, did not make the team in the 200 meters. However, this gives her more time to focus on winning an Olympic gold medal in the 100 meters. Her world champion training partners, Melissa Jefferson and TeeTee Terry, will join Richardson in the 100 meters.
Olympic bronze medalist Gabby Thomas leads the women's 200-meter team. Joining her will be world silver medalist Brittany Brown and three-time NCAA champion McKenzie Long.
The 4x100-meter relay pool for the men will consist of Christian Coleman, Kyree King, and Courtney Lindsey. Coleman, the 60-meter world champion and world record holder, missed the 100-meter team by one spot. However, naming Coleman to the relay pool is no surprise, considering he has been on almost every major championship relay since 2016. He also arguably has the best start of any American man.
King and Lindsey are training partners with Bednarek and participated in the relay that qualified the U.S. for the Olympics at the World Athletics Relay Championships in May.
Aleia Hobbs and Tamari Davis will join the women's relay pool. Hobbs has an Olympic silver medal in the 4x100-meter relay from Tokyo, and Davis was the first leg on the U.S. team that won the world championships last year in Budapest.
Quincy Wilson Named To 4x400-Meter Relay Pool
EUGENE, OREGON - JUNE 23: Quincy Wilson looks on after competing in the men's 400 meter semi-final ... [+]
The relay pool typically consists of the top four athletes in the relay's respective event, along with two discretionary picks. Quincy Wilson placed sixth at the U.S. Olympic Trials and had to wait to see if he would be asked to join the relay pool. On June 30th, Wilson made an Instagram post expressing that he was going to the Olympics. When the official roster came out several hours ago, Team USA listed his name in the relay pool.
If they pick Wilson to run on the relay, he will have multiple competition options. The Olympics contests a mixed and traditional 4x400-meter relay. Both relays have a prelim and a final, allowing teams to switch out athletes if needed. Track and field fans can see Wilson in any of these relay choices. This decision will be made when it is time for competition.
The men's 4x400-meter relay pool includes Bryce Deadmon and Vernon Norwood. Deadmon and Norwood have been staples on Team USA's relay for several championships. Both men have multiple Olympic and world medals in the relay.
The women's 4x400-meter relay pool will include Kaylyn Brown, Shamier Little, Isabella Whittaker, and Quanera Hayes. All of these women have major championship or NCAA experience.
Hobbs Kessler And Jasmine Moore Contest Historical Doubles
Budapest , Hungary - 25 August 2023; Jasmine Moore of USA competes in the Women's Triple Jump during ... [+]
Making the Olympic team in two events is a challenging feat. Some combinations of events are more uncommon than others. Hobbs Kessler and Jasmine Moore are the two athletes walking on a path that very few have ever done.
Kessler is the first American male to make the Olympic team at both 800-meters and 1500-meters since Rick Wohlhuter in 1976. Earning a medal in both will be challenging, but Kessler has the strong potential to find his way onto the podium.
His performance in the 800-meters at the Olympic Trials was nothing short of spectacular. Kessler's personal best before the Olympic Trials was 1:45.80. To qualify for the team, he ran two personal bests, effectively dropping over two seconds off his time to run 1:43.64. If Kessler can continue on this competitive streak, he may earn a spot in the Olympic final.
Moore is another athlete who will compete in a historic double. She is the first woman in American history to qualify for the Olympics in the long and triple jump. This is not the first time Moore etched her name into history. In 2022, she became the first American woman to qualify for both horizontal jumps for the World Athletics Outdoor Championships.
Grant Fisher and Karissa Schweizer are the other athletes on Team USA who will run two events. They will both compete in the 5k and 10k.
To view the complete Team USA roster, readers can click here or visit the USATF website.
