United States > Usa Track & Field announces roster of 120 athletes for Paris Olympic Games

By Julie Peh

Team Usatf dominated the medals table at the past two World Athletics Championships, earning 33 total medals at Oregon22 and 29 last summer at Budapest, including 12 gold. American athletes finished atop the medal table at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021, too, grabbing 26, seven of them gold.

Four reigning Olympic champions lead the U.S. roster, with two-time shot put gold medalist and world record holder Ryan Crouser heading the men’s team and 400 hurdles world record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone coming off her fifth world record to top the women’s entrants. Katie Moon is the defending women’s pole vault champion, and Valarie Allman will be seeking a second straight gold in the women’s discus.

At last year’s World Championships in Budapest, Noah Lyles swept the men’s 100 and 200 and helped the U.S. to victory in the 4×100 relay. He is again a favorite to top the podium in both individual events and will be a key player on the relay. Other individual gold medalists from Budapest making the Paris trip are Crouser and Moon, as well as women’s 100 champion Sha’Carri Richardson. Richardson picked up bronze in the 200 and helped Team Usatf to gold in the 4×100. 

Grant Holloway is a three-time world champion in the men’s 110 hurdles who earned silver at Tokyo, and his 12.86 win at the Olympic Trials in Eugene perhaps set the scene for his first Olympic gold. Winner of the last two world titles in the women’s shot put, Chase Jackson is the American record holder and is seeking gold in her Olympic debut.

Other returning medalists from Tokyo include men’s 400 hurdles American record holder Rai Benjamin, who set the AR of 46.17 for silver in that historic Tokyo race. Benjamin clocked a world-leading 46.46 to win the Trials. Sprint stars Fred Kerley and Kenny Bednarek are also gold medal threats in the 100 and 200. Kerley won the world 100 title at Oregon22, while Bednarek dropped his 200 PB to 19.59 at the Trials and was a silver medalist at Oregon22.

Field eventers Joe Kovacs and Chris Nilsen have vast international experience, and Kovacs has two world titles to his credit. Owner of the best men’s shot put mark in the world this year at 23.13, Kovacs has a pair of Olympic silvers from Rio 2016 and Tokyo, and is the second best thrower in history behind only Crouser. Nilsen nabbed pole vault silver at Tokyo and Oregon22. Women’s shot put stalwart Raven Saunders was the Tokyo silver medalist and placed fifth at Rio in 2016.

Gabby Thomas was the women’s 200 silver medalist at Budapest last fall and earned bronze at Tokyo. She has the fastest time in the world this year, a 21.78 in the Trials semifinal, and her 21.60 PB makes her the second fastest American ever and No. 4 on the world all-time performer list.

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