The multi-medalist Allyson Felix (35) took second place on Sunday in the 400m of the American selections in Eugene (Oregon), thus offering herself a fifth participation in the Olympics. Notable successes from Mike Norman (400m), Kendra Harrison (100m hurdles) and Rudy Winkler (hammer). There was of course the men’s 100m won by Trayvon Bromell in 9”80, but the big emotional moment of Sunday in Eugene (Oregon) came in the women’s 400m, won by Quanera Hayes in 49 ‘ ’78, who beat Allyson Felix (50”02) and Wadeline Jonathas (50”03). At 35, Felix was entitled to a well-deserved standing ovation from Hayward Field after giving everything in the home stretch to snatch a place on the podium. “I am very proud to have arrived there, proud to have fought because it has not been easy for several years, said the Californian. But if there’s one thing I can do, it’s fight! “ She hadn’t run so fast since 2017 on the lap and will therefore be playing her fifth Olympic Games in a few weeks in Tokyo. A remarkable longevity for the Californian, present since the 2004 edition in Athens. The most successful female athlete at the Olympic Games with six gold medals (4x400m in 2008; 200m, 4x100m and 4x400m in 2012; 4x100m and 4x400m in 2016) also won two silver medals on 200 m in 2004 and 2008 and one of the same metal over 400 m in 2016. Without forgetting his 13 world titles!
Mother of a little girl born very prematurely in November 2018 and spent a month in intensive care, Felix has also been involved in recent years in various social fights, supporting the Black Live Matters movement or closer to sport the fate reserved by some sponsors to athletes who become pregnant and then deprived of a contract. This is what happened to him in 2019 with his former historic equipment supplier, Nike, who changed his behavior in the matter after the media coverage of his attitude by Felix, who left running under the colors of the sports clothing subsidiary of the giant Gap. The pandemic postponed the Olympics for a year, but the sprinter with an elegant and recognizable stride drew new motivation from it, even if it meant training at the beach or in parking lots under the orders of her coach Bob Kersee, fault stadiums open for several months. “At first I found it disappointing but in the end it’s great because my daughter can come to the stadium, see what’s going on and enjoy it too, she explained a few days ago. Being a mother has become my number one job, my greatest achievement too, it’s fantastic. But here these are my last selections, I want to savor to the maximum and of course to qualify! “ Felix is also engaged in the 200m, the series of which are scheduled for Thursday. The men’s 400m sparked less enthusiasm, but we note the victory of the favorite Michael Norman in 44”07, best time of his season, ahead of Michael Cherry (44”35) and the young (20 years old) Randolph Ross ( 44”74), who had been amazing last week in the same place during the NCAA Finals by signing 43”85, best performance in the world on the lap. Winkler impresses on hammer Rudy Winkler (26) set a new national hammer record of 82.71m on his second throw, erasing the 82.52m mark set in 1996 by Lance Deal. Winkler, whose previous record was 81.98m, set two months ago already at Eugene, was extremely consistent, hitting his hammer five times out of six at over 80m. His new United States record is also the second best world performance of the year behind the 82.98m of Pole Pawel Fajdek. Winkler will be joined in Tokyo by Daniel Haugh (79.39 m) and Alex Young (78.32 m). Potential rivals for Quentin Bigot in the race for the Olympic podium. Harrison makes 2016 forget After her misadventure in the 2016 Olympic selections, where her 6th place in the 100m hurdles final had deprived her of the trip to Rio just days after setting a new world record in 12”20, Kendra Harrison this time it was exactly right, winning Sunday in 12”47 (+ 0.8 m / s), the best time of its season. She got the better of 2016 Olympic champion Brianna McNeal (12”51) and Christina Clemons (12”53). McNeal, recently suspended for five years for “obstructing the anti-doping process” could nevertheless contest these Olympic selections because she appealed against this sanction before the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which must render its decision before the Olympic Games (23 July – 8 August) .
The decathlon was won by Garrett Scantling with 8,647 points, a new personal best. He will be accompanied in Tokyo by Steven Bastien (8,485 points) and Zach Ziemek (8,471 pts). The latter notably crossed 5.55 m with the pole. At women’s height, success for Vashti Cunningham with 1.96 m. The third of the 2019 Worlds was ahead of Inika McPherson (1.93 m) and Nicole Greene (1.93 m). The women’s triple jump competition was won by Keturah Orji, fourth in the 2016 Olympics, with 14.52 m (+ 0.9 m / s), ahead of Tori Franklin (14.36 m, + 1.4 m / s) and Jasmine Moore (14.15 m, + 1.6 m / s).
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