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The US Olympic Track and Field Trials are the most anticipated qualifying events for American athletes. Years of practice come to the fore as athletes attempt to break world records. This year saw a couple of athletes set new world records, while several came close to achieving a similar feat. Nevertheless, they added a feat to their kitty bags at the trials.
Here is the list of players who came very close to breaking world records during the trials.
Players who almost broke world records during the US Olympic Track and Field trials
#1 - Athing Mu
The 19-year-old, Athing Mu on Monday competed in 800m dashes at the US Olympic Track and Field trials. Mu clocked a handsome time of 1:56.07 seconds. It was the second-fastest run by an American in the 800m category.
She was just 0.46 seconds shy of beating Ajee Wilson to her world record of 1:55.61 seconds, which was set in 2017. Meanwhile, Mu's feat at the US Olympic Track and Field trials made it the fastest run by anyone this year.
#2 - JeVaughn Harrison
JeVaughn Harrison created history at the US Olympic Track and Field trials. He became the first man in 109 years to compete in both high jump and long jump events at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. The last person to achieve this feat was Jim Thorpe in 1912.
Harrison won both his events at the trials and recorded a personal best of 8.47m in the long jump and 2.33m in the high jump. He secured first spot despite having the same distance as second-placed Darryl Sullivan on account of missing fewer attempts than the latter.
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#3 - Annie Kunz
Annie Kunz will be making her debut at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after an impressive performance at the heptathlon event of the US Olympic Track and Field trials. Kunz scored a total of 6,703 points in the US Olympic Track and Field trials, which puts her in 5th position on the list of all-time US performers in the heptathlon.
Before the event began Kunz didn't even meet the Tokyo standards. Today her score is the best heptathlon score of the year.
#4 - Grant Holloway
Holloway, winner of the 110m hurdle at the US Olympic Track and Field trials, became the second-fastest man in his category after he clocked 12.80 seconds in the semifinals.
The 23-year-old came very close to breaking the world record of Aries Merritt, who clocked 12.81 seconds in the Brussels Diamond League in 2012. Holloway missed the world record by 100th of a second.
#5 - Noah Lyles
The gold medalist of the World Athletics Championships 2019 competed in the 200m race in the trials. Lyles covered the distance in 19.74 seconds, which is a world record for this year.
Tokyo will mark Lyles' debut at the Olympics and his performance at the US Olympic Track and Field trials puts him as a serious contender for gold at the games.
#6 - Gabrielle Thomas
The 24-year-old became the second fastest woman of all time in the 200m category. Gabrielle Thomas ticked 21.61 seconds on the stopwatch during the US Olympic Track and Field trials, which put her just behind world record holder Florence Griffith Joyner.
Joyner achieved a world record of 21.34 seconds at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
#7 - DeAnna Price
DeAnna Price, who competed in the hammer throw event at the US Olympic Track and Field trials, achieved a unique feat. She broke three of her own records at the same event.
Out of the six throws, she improved her personal best to 77.82m on the first throw. On her third throw, she covered 79.98m and broke the record she claimed on her first throw.
On her fifth throw during the US Olympic Track and Field trials, she covered 80.31m and broke the record she created on the third throw. With that, she also became the second person to touch the 80m mark after two-time medalist Anita Włodarczyk, who threw a world record distance of 82.29m at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
#8 - Rai Benjamin
Rai Benjamin, who competed in the 400m hurdle event at the US Olympic Track and Field trials, became the second fastest man in the category with a personal best of 46.83 seconds. He is only behind Kevin Young, who set a world record of 46.78 seconds at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
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