Joe Kovacs
Five men's events to watch at USATF Outdoor Championships
By Nick ZaccardiJun 20, 2018, 12:50 PM EDT
The featured men's events at the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships have a bit of everything.
Dominance from Olympic medalists Ryan Crouser (shot put) and Paul Chelimo (5000m). Promise in the form of Noah Lyles (100m), Michael Norman (200m) and Grant Holloway (110m hurdles). Overcoming adversity — Matthew Centrowitz (1500m) and Clayton Murphy (800m).
A Lyles-Norman showdown in the 200m would have enough spice to headline this meet on its own, but Lyles decided against the double. That enhances the likelihood that the biggest story in Des Moines could come from one of many events on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.
There is no Olympic or world championships team to qualify for this year, which is why established stars like Justin Gatlin, Christian Coleman and LaShawn Merritt are out.
But their absences could yield the emergence of first-time national champions. Just look at 2014, when that list included Tianna Bartoletta, Kori Carter, Jeff Henderson, Sam Kendricks and Joe Kovacs, all of whom have since won Olympic or world titles.
USATF Outdoors: TV Schedule | Entries | Women's Preview | Men's Preview
Five men's events to watch this week:
100m (Final — Friday, 8:30 p.m. ET, Olympic Channel, NBC Sports Gold)
World gold and silver medalists Justin Gatlin and Christian Coleman are missing, but two more impressive sprinters this outdoor season go head-to-head. Noah Lyles, who finished fourth in the 200m at the 2016 Olympic Trials at age 18 and is since undefeated in that event, drops down for his first 100m at a major meet as a professional. Lyles has the joint-fastest 200m in the world this year. He chose the 100m this week for two reasons — he can improve more in the 100m than the 200m over three rounds and to try something different given his race schedule the rest of the summer is tailored for the 200m. Lyles is forgoing a matchup with Michael Norman in the 200m this week, but he should have his hands full with Ronnie Baker. Baker, who grew up running cross-country and avoiding the moose in Alaska, has been the most impressive American in the 100m this year. Baker beat a slightly injured Coleman at consecutive Diamond League meets in May and, with favorable wind, should improve on his personal best of 9.93 and overtake the fastest time in the world this year (Zharnel Hughes' 9.91). As should Lyles, who also has a personal best of 9.93.
Shot Put (Saturday, 3:45 p.m. ET, NBC, NBC Sports Gold)
All four men from Rio and the 2017 Worlds are here, including Olympic gold and silver medalists Ryan Crouser and Joe Kovacs. Crouser, whose father, two uncles and two cousins were elite throwers, has won 13 of his last 14 head-to-heads with Kovacs, who was taught to throw by his mom in his Pennsylvania high-school parking lot. Crouser also won his last 13 of 14 head-to-heads with Rio Olympian Darrell Hill, according to Tilastopaja.org. Crouser also has the top 23 throws by an American this year out of his 24 total legal throws in 2018 competition, according to Tilastopaja.
1500m (Final — Saturday, 5:40 p.m. ET, NBC)
Is Olympic champion Matthew Centrowitz vulnerable? He was upset at nationals last year by Robby Andrews. Centrowitz revealed afterward that he competed on 10 days of training after a series of health problems that included an emergency-room visit with a viral infection. Then at worlds, a listless Centrowitz finished last in his first-round heat and said he was unable to get more than two straight weeks of healthy training all season. The 28-year-old heads into Des Moines ranked behind Andrews and Johnny Gregorek on best times this season. At last month's Pre Classic, Centrowitz was beaten by a countryman (Olympic 800m bronze medalist Clayton Murphy, not racing the 1500m this week) at a major race at Hayward Field for the first time in five years.
800m (Final — Sunday, 4:13 p.m. ET, NBC)
Maybe the deepest field at nationals. The six fastest Americans since the start of 2016 are here. Clayton Murphy took bronze at the Rio Olympics but withdrew during 2017 Nationals with sore hamstrings and missed worlds. Boris Berian went from flipping burgers at McDonald's to winning the 2016 World Indoor title and placing second at the Olympic Trials. He didn't race at all in 2017 (Achilles) and ranks 186th in the U.S. this year. Donavan Brazier won the 2017 U.S. title and 2018 U.S. Indoor title at age 20 but hasn't raced outdoors this year. Drew Windle took silver at world indoors on March 3. NCAA champion Isaiah Harris and Erik Sowinski are the fastest Americans this outdoor season.
110m Hurdles (Final — Sunday, 5:52 p.m. ET, NBC)
An intergenerational group with 2012 Olympic champion and world-record holder Aries Merritt, 2016 Olympic Trials winner Devon Allen and Grant Holloway, a rising University of Florida junior who won all four NCAA hurdles titles his first two years and ranks second in the world this season. Merritt underwent a kidney transplant in 2015, then missed the 2016 Olympic team by .01 and missed a national title in 2017 by .07 behind Aleec Harris (who is also in this field). Allen, the former University of Oregon wide receiver, looked primed to break 13 seconds after he won the trials in 13.03, but that remains his personal best. Holloway clocked his personal best of 13.15 on May 13 and is the only American to break 13.20 this year. It's been nearly three years since an American broke 13 seconds, the longest drought in more than two decades.
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Tags: aries merritt, Clayton Murphy, Devon Allen, Grant Holloway, Joe Kovacs, Matthew Centrowitz, Noah Lyles, olympics, Robby Andrews, Ronnie Baker, Ryan Crouser, track and field, U.S. Track and Field Championships, Aries Merritt, Clayton Murphy, Devon Allen, Grant Holloway, Joe Kovacs, Matthew Centrowitz, Noah Lyles, Robby Andrews, Ronnie Baker, Ryan Crouser
U.S. steeplechase stars reunite at Oslo Diamond League; stream info
By Nick ZaccardiJun 5, 2018, 9:54 AM EDT
The last time Emma Coburn and Courtney Frerichs raced a steeplechase together, they produced one of the greatest moments in U.S. track and field history.
"Am I dreaming? Am I dreaming?" Frerichs repeated to Coburn on the track that day.
Nearly 10 months later, the reality is that Coburn and Frerichs are headliners. The steeple is one of the marquee events at Thursday's Diamond League meet in Oslo, live on NBCSN at 2 p.m. ET and streaming commercial-free on NBC Sports Gold at 12 p.m.
It's the second steeplechase of the season for the world champion Coburn, who was in contention for the win in Rome last Thursday when she fell on a water jump, for the first time in her life, on the last lap.
It's Frerichs' first steeple since August, when the 11th-place finisher from Rio chopped 15 seconds off her personal best to take silver behind the Olympic bronze medalist Coburn at worlds.
They're joined in the Oslo field by the other medalist from worlds, Kenyan Hyvin Kiyeng, who won in Rome last week in a field including the three fastest Kenyans of all time and Coburn.
Here are the Oslo entry lists. Here's the schedule of events (all times Eastern):
12 p.m. ET — Women's javelin
12:30 — Women's Pole Vault
1:10 — Men's 10,000m
1:15 — Men's Shot Put
2:03 — Women's 400m Hurdles
2:05 — Men's High Jump
2:10 — Men's 1500m
2:17 — Women's Triple Jump
2:20 — Women's 3000m Steeplechase
2:35 — Women's 100m
2:50 — Men's Discus
3:10 — Men's 200m
3:25 — Men's 400m Hurdles
3:50 — Men's Mile
Here are five events to watch:
Women's Pole Vault — 12:30 p.m. ET
Katerina Stefanidi of Greece and American Sandi Morris go head-to-head for the 30th time, according to Tilastopaja.org. Stefanidi relegated Morris to silver at the 2016 Olympics and 2017 Words, but Morris has been better in all three of their head-to-heads this season. The field does not include world leader Jenn Suhr, but it does have Cuban Yarisley Silva, the 2015 World champion in her first Diamond League meet of the year.
Men's Shot Put — 1:15 p.m. ET
The four men who combined to earn every shot put medal at the most recent Olympics and worlds convene for the second time in three Diamond League meets: Ryan Crouser (Olympic gold), Joe Kovacs (Olympic silver, world silver), Tom Walsh (Olympic bronze, world gold) and Stipe Žunić (world bronze). Tack on two-time world champion David Storl and world fourth-place finisher Tomáš Staněk, and it becomes the most decorated field in Oslo. Walsh has the world's farthest throw this season, but Crouser broke the meet record in winning the Prefontaine Classic two weeks ago.
Women's 3000m Steeplechase — 2:20 p.m. ET
Coburn and Frerichs are underdogs here, given their lack of races since worlds and Kiyeng's win in Rome with the fastest time in the world this year. But Coburn may well have beaten Kiyeng had she not crashed coming out of the water jump on Thursday. Coburn is the only U.S. woman to win a Diamond League steeplechase, doing so four years ago when the top East Africans let her go because they thought she was a pacer.
Women's 800m — 2:45 p.m. ET
Caster Semenya puts the sport's longest win streak (by days) on the line, one that dates to 2015, against her closest definition of a rival, plus some unusual foes. Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi has finished second or third behind Semenya in 13 straight head-to-heads, including silvers at the 2016 Olympics and 2017 Worlds. Brit Laura Muir and American Brenda Martinez both raced the 1500m at the Olympics. Muir, who was fourth in the 1500m at 2017 Worlds, races a Diamond League 800m for the second time in three years. Though Martinez made her only Olympic team in the 1500m, she has primarily raced the 800m overall, including earning bronze at the 2013 Worlds. But she and Semenya have met in just one 800m final since June 2014.
Men's 400m Hurdles — 3:25 p.m. ET
Featuring the Olympic champion (Kerron Clement) and world champion (Norway's Karsten Warholm), plus another man who made both podiums (Yasmani Copello of Turkey). But the man to watch is Qatari Abderrahman Samba, who didn't race in Rio and was seventh at worlds. But in his last two races, Samba ran the fastest time ever recorded that early in a year — national record 47.57 on May 4 and Asian record 47.48 last Thursday, the latter the fastest time in the world in eight years. If Samba can break 47.30, he will move into the top 10 400m hurdlers of all time. He ranked No. 87 all time at the end of 2017.
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Tags: Abderrahman Samba, Caster Semenya, Courtney Frerichs, Diamond League, Emma Coburn, Joe Kovacs, Karsten Warholm, Katerina Stefanidi, Kerron Clement, olympics, Oslo, Ryan Crouser, Sandi Morris, Tom Walsh, track and field, Abderrahman Samba, Caster Semenya, Courtney Frerichs, Emma Coburn, Joe Kovacs, Karsten Warholm, Katerina Stefanidi, Kerron Clement, Ryan Crouser, Sandi Morris, Tom Walsh
World championships rematches in Birmingham; Diamond League preview
By Nick ZaccardiAug 16, 2017, 4:02 PM EDT
More: Track and Field
Anita Wlodarczyk, one of track and field's most dominant, sidelined Noah Lyles will not race 100m at USATF Outdoors; plans Olympic double Usain Bolt calls out 'embarrassing' Jamaican sprinters
Several newly crowned world champions headline a Diamond League meet in Birmingham, Great Britain, on Sunday, live on NBC Sports Gold and The Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA.
Coverage begins on NBC Sports Gold at 8:20 a.m. ET and on the Olympic Channel at 10 a.m.
Many stars made the 125-mile trek northwest from London, where worlds concluded last Sunday, to Birmingham for the last Diamond League meet before the finals in Zurich (Aug. 24) and Brussels (Sept. 1).
They include Allyson Felix, Mo Farah, Elaine Thompson and Shaunae Miller-Uibo, plus surprise world champs Emma Coburn, Phyllis Francis and Ramil Guliyev.
Here are the Birmingham entry lists. Here's the schedule of events (all times Eastern):
8:22 a.m. — Women's Pole Vault
8:31 a.m. — Men's Long Jump
8:41 a.m. — Women's 800m
9:30 a.m. — Men's Mile
9:39 a.m. — Men's High Jump
9:47 a.m. — Women's Discus
10:03 a.m. — Women's 400m Hurdles
10:14 a.m. — Men's 800m
10:28 a.m. — Women's Triple Jump
10:40 a.m. — Women's 3000m
10:53 a.m. — Men's Shot Put
10:57 a.m. — Men's 110m Hurdles
11:08 a.m. — Women's 100m
11:45 a.m. — Men's 3000m
Women's 3000m — 10:40 a.m.
Emma Coburn and Courtney Frerichs, the surprise one-two finishers in the world championships 3000m steeplechase, race without the barriers and water jumps here. The two fastest American steeplers of all time face the two fastest Americans in the 5000m all time — Shannon Rowbury and Molly Huddle.
But the favorite has to be Kenyan Hellen Obiri, who is the fastest woman since 1993 in this non-Olympic event. Obiri dusted 10,000m world-record holder Almaz Ayana with her kick to win the world 5000m crown on Sunday.
Men's Shot Put — 10:53 a.m.
Ten of the top 11 finishers from worlds are here, including the medalists — Tomas Walsh (NZL), Joe Kovacs (USA) and Stipe Žunić (CRO).
Nobody has been more impressive this season than Olympic champion Ryan Crouser, who will look to make up for his shocking sixth-place finish from London. Crouser owns five of the world's top six throws in 2017, including a 22.65-meter heave at the USATF Outdoor Championships. That's two feet farther than Walsh's world title-winning throw.
Women's 100m — 11:08 a.m.
An interesting field will race in two heats to qualify for this final. It does not include Tori Bowie, who in London became the first American woman to take a global 100m crown since 2005.
But it does include Olympic 100m champion Elaine Thompson, who earned zero medals at worlds while reportedly slowed by a stomach illness and an Achilles problem. World 100m silver and bronze medalists Marie-Josée Ta Lou and Dafne Schippers are also in the field.
Two Olympic champions making their Diamond League 100m debuts are Sally Pearson, the 2012 Olympic 100m hurdles gold medalist, and Rio 400m champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo.
Men's 200m — 11:17 a.m.
Who would have thought six months ago that a Diamond League 200m without Usain Bolt, Andre De Grasse, Wayde van Niekerk or Justin Gatlin would be one of the headline events?
After the surprise at worlds, this one is intriguing. Turkey's Ramil Guliyev is entered after winning an out-of-nowhere gold medal in London. He'll face a man with reason to carry a chip on his shoulder — Botswana's Isaac Makwala. Makwala has the fastest 200m time in the world this year but finished sixth at worlds, likely in part due to his medical controversy and having to run an extra 200m heat alone the night before the final.
The three world medalists return here, hopefully to race in better weather conditions. American Phyllis Francis surpassed Allyson Felix and a stumbling Miller-Uibo to claim gold on a wet, chilly night in London last week in the slowest world championships-winning time ever. Bahrain's Salwa Eid Naser clipped Felix for silver, with Miller-Uibo falling to fourth.
Felix still owns the fastest time in the world this year and, with Miller-Uibo choosing to race the 100m in Birmingham, is a quarter of a second faster than anyone in this field in 2017.
VIDEO: Ten memorable races from worlds
Tags: Allyson Felix, Birmingham, Courtney Frerichs, Diamond League, Elaine Thompson, Emma Coburn, Hellen Obiri, Isaac Makwala, Joe Kovacs, olympics, Phyllis Francis, Ramil Guliyev, Ryan Crouser, Shaunae Miller-Uibo, Tomas Walsh, track and field, Allyson Felix, Courtney Frerichs, Elaine Thompson, Emma Coburn, Hellen Obiri, Isaac Makwala, Joe Kovacs, Phyllis Francis, Ramil Guliyev, Ryan Crouser, Shaunae Miller-Uibo, Tomas Walsh
Five men's events to watch at USATF Outdoor Championships June 20, 2018 12:50 pm U.S. steeplechase stars reunite at Oslo Diamond League; stream info June 5, 2018 9:54 am World championships rematches in Birmingham; Diamond League preview August 16, 2017 4:02 pm Aleec Harris victorious in 110m hurdles; Allyson Felix scratches 200m at USAs June 25, 2017 6:44 pm U.S. takes gold, silver in men's shot put August 18, 2016 8:43 pm Ten men's events to watch at U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials June 29, 2016 5:45 pm U.S. sweeps Oslo 100m hurdles; former World champ sprinter hurt June 9, 2016 7:45 pm Joe Kovacs goes wild after winning Pre Classic shot put (video) May 29, 2016 8:15 am Justin Gatlin 'like Mike Tyson' in Shanghai win; Diamond League recap May 14, 2016 9:04 am Justin Gatlin wins in photo finish, Allyson Felix beaten in season finale September 11, 2015 3:58 pm