SantaFeToday.com Santa Fe’s Hometown News
By Arnie Leshin
There’s been a lot of delays these days, some the usual weather delays in Major League Baseball, others by heavy rain and lightning reports putting other events on hold, others by coronavirus pandemic issues calling for time outs to check on individuals and teams that have tested positives.
And in Eugene, Ore., on the boiling hot track and field at newly renovated and upgraded picturesque Heyward Field, Sunday’s United States Olympic Track and Field trials were much too hot to compete in.
The field itself at every event had temperatures rise to a record 116 degrees, and outside on the track and field areas, it was a high of 96 degrees, and that forced the meet officials to scratch the trials this scorching-hot mid afternoon and postpone them until like 11 p,m that day, a delay of six hours and 35 minutes.
After the athletes ran, jumped and thrown in the morning, it was a mess for all of them. They poured ice inside their uniform tops, were treated and given wet towels, avoided make-up and any kind of sun treatment, and tried to keep their bodies wet. As the noon hour appeared, the officials themselves were having a miserable time officiating events, most were soaking up sweat, having trouble getting around, around 2 o’clock, the long delay was announced.
This sent officials and athletes to their hotel rooms to be cooled off, comforted by air conditioning, and just count the long hours until it was cleared to returned to the complex.
A half-hour before midnight, the trials resumed.
Headliners included 35-year-old Allison Felix, who is the most decorated American woman in Olympic history, having already won nine Olympic medals that included individual and relay legs, and is one behind Carl Lewis to become No. 1 in all genders.
She did make it to Tokyo, but it wasn’t easy. After racing sixth in the 200 meters that she won in Rio 2016, she came on strong in the final straightaway to finish second in the 400 with a season-best 50.02, and behind victorious Quintana Hayes, who ran a personal-best 49.78.
“It was a fight to make it,” said Felix as she advanced to her fifth Olympics, “and I did just that. I wasn’t happy about not qualifying in the 200, but found the strength to finish strong in the 400.”
Meanwhile, the 200 women’s race went to Gabby Thomas who dashed a world-best 21.61, the 3rd-fastest time in history, and made her a favorite in
Then there was Orji Clinkes topping the field in the triple jump at a best of 14-52 to better her fourth-place finish at Rio 2016. In the 400 meter hurdles, it was Sydney McLaughlin coming away with a world record 51.90 to also become the first woman to go finish in 51 seconds, and leave defending champion Daliah Muhammad second in 52.42 after her world record of 52.16 was eclipsed by McLaughlin.
In the discus, Valeria Altman dominated with a best throw of 69-92 to leave runner-up Michaela Hoziewood seven feet behind. Emma Coburn extended her reign in the 3,000 steeplechase by finishing first in 9:09.41. And in the grueling 10,000, Emily Sisson took the lead after five laps and increased it each lap to clock 31:03.62, and leave the field way behind.
“That was how I had to run it,” Sisson said. “I didn’t want to risk getting jammed in among this huge field, so my plan was to simply get in front and stay there. I thought I ran very well, and smart, and happy to make it to Toyko.”
Karissa Schweizer didn’t win either the 5,000 or 10,000, but she was second in both and qualified for these two grueling runs in Tokyo. The 5,000 went to Elise Cranny in 15.27.81, the 10,000 to Sisson. Schweizer’s times were 15.28.1 in an almost photo finish 5,000, and 31.16.82 in the 10,000.
On the men’s side, Rai Benjamin hurdled his way to a meet record 46.83 in the 400 hurdles and establish himself as a favorite in Tokyo. The 800 was quite a finish as Clayton Murphy ran 1:43.17 to nip Isiah Jewett, who ran 1:43,85, just ahead of third place Bryce Hoppel’s time of 1:44.14.
Benjamin said he was looking to run 46, and had worked on getting there, so now he feels like he can even lower that time at the Olympics. Murphy said he had to take a deep breath after crossing the finish line less then a step ahead of the next two runners.
In the 110 hurdles, Grant Holloway sprinted over the final hurdle to clock 12.96 and edge runner-up Kenny Selan (13.10) and Daniel Roberts (13.11). The 100 meters was also a tight finish when Trayon Bromell earned a third Olympic trip with a time of 9.80 that left second place Ronnie Baker and third place Fred Kerly five-tenths behind. In Rio, Bromell had a disappointing eighth place finish and said he’s happy to get another chance.
The 10,000 had a stacked field leave the final lap to Woody Kincaid, Grant Fisher and Joe Kiecker, with the three sprinting to the finish and Kincaid winning in 27.53.62, Fisher less than a step behind in 27:54, and Kiecker right there in 27.54.90.
In the shot put, Ryan Crousen won via a world-record eighth inches (76-8.25) and earning another Olympic trip in defense of the world championship he won in Rio. JoVaughn Harrisson became the first American to both the high jump and long jump since Jim Thorpe in 1912. He went over the bar in 7-7.25 and claimed the high jump with a best of 27-9.5 as he makes his Olympic debut.
“It’s not an easy thing to do,” Harrison said, “it’s unlike a race as you have little time to make it to both finals and doing two different jumps, so I’m overjoyed, worked hard to accomplish this, and I can hardly wait to compete in Tokyo”
There were a load of events that resulted in close finishers, and that included the tough 3,000 steeplechase, where in the heat you had to race in tight quarters and then hurdle quickly into the water, although that at least cooled off the feet. Emanuel Bor won in 8:21.34, with Bernard Keter on his heels in 8:21.81, as was third place Mason Fertic who timed 8:22.06.
In the other Women’s finals: the high jump went to Vashti Cunningham at 6-96, the 100 meters to Sha’carri Richardson in 10.86, the shot put to Jessica Ramsey at 20-31, the 20K Racewalk to Robyn Stevens in 1:35.13, the hammer throw to DeAnna Price at 80-31, the javelin to Maggie Malone at 63-50, the pole vault to Katie Nagette at 4-95, the long jump to Brittney Reese with a best of 24-13.
In the 15,000, it was Ellie Purrter-Piece coming in first in 3:58.0. the 100 hurdles went to Keni Harrison in the time of 12.47 after waiting five years following her missing Rio, the 800 to Raevyn in 1:57.66.
There was Olympic hopeful Noah Lyles failing to qualify in both sprints, but he did win the 200 in a best-in-world time of 19.74, with Kenny Bednarek second in an also speedy 19.78 that also surpassed the current best time in the world. Lyles did not qualify in the 100 won by Bromell.
In the other Men’s finals: Nick Cjristie walked the 20K Racewalk and won in 1:30.48, in the discus, it was Mason Finley taking first at 63-07, the triple jump went to Will Claye at 37-21.
The javelin to Curtis Thompson with a best of 82-78, the pole vault had Chris Nielsen going up and over at 13-90, the 400 won by Michael Norman in 44:07, just ahead of second place Michael Cherry, who clocked 44.38.
