Valerie Constien sets steeplechase meet record at U.S. track trials

Valerie Constien set a meet record in the steeplechase, Valarie Allman dominated the discus final and Grant Holloway ran away from the field in the 110-meter hurdles semifinals Thursday at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Eugene, Ore.

Noah Lyles, Sha'Carri Richardson and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone set up a star-studded semifinals Friday, all topping their qualifying fields.

Constien set a meet record in the 3000-meter steeplechase, finishing in 9 minutes, 03.22 seconds. That bested Emma Coburn's 9:09.41 from 2021.

Constien clinched a spot in her second Olympics. Courtney Wayment (9:06.50) and Marisa Howard (9:07.14) both set personal bests to make the U.S. Olympic team for the first time.

Allman came up short of her U.S. record in the discus, but she still dominated the field and will head to Paris seeking a second consecutive Olympic gold medal.

Allman's throw of 70.73 meters was short of her American record of 71.46, set in 2022, and also just shy of the meet record of 70.89 she set Monday at this event.

Veronica Fraley (62.54 meters) will join her on Team USA, while Jayden Ulrich (second at 62.63) must qualify via world rankings.

In the men's 110-meter hurdles, Holloway ran the fastest heat on his way to the final. His time of 12.96 seconds was the only finish under 13 seconds.

Freddie Crittenden finished second at 13.05, Daniel Roberts was third at 13.11 and Michael Dickson and Cordell Tinch each ran 13.19.

The other finalists are Devion Wilson (13.23), Ja'Qualon Scott (13.23), Trey Cunningham (13.26) and Cameron Murray (13.27).

Lyles ran the 200 meters in 20.10 seconds, and Erriyon Knighton (20.15), Courtney Lindsey (20.28) and Kenny Bednarek (20.28) all won their heats to reach Friday's semifinal. Lyles and Bednarek also are trying to make the team in the 100.

Richardson and Gabby Thomas, the Olympic bronze medalist at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, paced the women's 200-meter heats. Richardson won hers in 21.99 and Thomas clocked 22.11.

McLaughlin-Levrone, the women's 400-meter hurdles world record holder, blistered her heat in 53.07. She crossed the line 19.4 meters ahead of the rest of the field.

Rai Benjamin, who won a silver medal in the men's 400-meter hurdles in Tokyo, advanced to the semifinals by winning his heat with a time of 49.56 seconds.

--Field Level Media