Women's Preview for the USATF Outdoor Championships

Here are the top women's events to watch at the US National Championships in Eugene. The championships takes place from June 24 to 16 at the historic Hayward Field in Eugene Oregon. 

Women’s 100 metres: 

Watch USATF Outdoor Championships Live Stream

Sha’Carri Richardson won the NCAA outdoor title in 2019 setting the world under 20 record with 10.75 and was the fastest sprinter in the USA  in 2021 with 10.72. This year Richardson finished second at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene with 10.92 and in New York in 10.85. 

Aleia Hobbs beat Richardson in New Nork on 12 June in 10.83, improving her lifetime best for the first time in five years. 

The other contenders for a spot in the US team for Eugene are Cambrea Sturgis, NCAA champion in the 100m in 10.74 and in the 200m in 22.12, Melissa Jefferson, who improved her PB to 10.88 in Lafayette, and Twanisha Terry, who won the 100m in Walnut in a wind-assisted 10.77 and finished fifth at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene in 10.98,2019 world 200m silver medallist Brittany Brown, who clocked a wind-assisted 10.68 in Waco on 23 April, and Teahana Daniels, who finished seventh in the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 11.02. 

200 metres: 

Gabby Thomas clocked the third fastest time in history with 21.61 to win the US Olympic Trials in Eugene last year and finished third in the Olympic 200 metres final in 21.87. Thomas won the 200m in Walnut last April with 22.02 and in the Doha Diamond League in 21.98, but she had to pull out of the New York meeting due to a minor injury. 

Thomas will take on Abby Steiner, who improved the collegiate record and the fastest time in the world this year to 21.80 to win the NCAA title. Steiner also won the NCAA indoor title in 22.16 and broke the US Indoor record with 22.09 at the South Eastern Conference in College Station. Steiner has already run 47 races this year. 

Jenna Prandini improved her PB to 21.89 to finish second at the US Olympic Trials in Eugene and won the Olympic silver medal in the 4x100 relay in 41.45 in 2021. 

Women’s 400 metres: 

Eleven-time Olympic medallist Allyson Felix will run at the US National Championships for the final time in her career. Felix will run the 400 metres at the World Championships in Eugene if she finishes in the top three at the US National Championships. She is hoping to run at least one relay, if she reaches a top-eight finish at the US Nationals. Felix is joint third fastest among entered athletes at the US Nationals. 

Quanera Hayes is qualified for the World Championships as winner of the Diamond League final in Zurich last year. 

The other top contenders for a spot in the US team are Wadeline Jonathas, fourth at the World Championships in 49.60m in Doha 2019, and Talitha Diggs, who won the NCAA outdoor title in 49.99 in Eugene. 

Women’s 100 metres hurdles: 

The women’s 100 metres hurdles is going to be one of the most competitive races of the US National Championships, as at least eight hurdles are in contention for just three spots. 

Alaysha Johnson starts as the fastest hurdler in the field with her PB of 12.40 set in New York on 12 June. 

Reigning world champion Nia Ali has the wild-card as reigning world champion. Ali returned this year with a seasonal best of 12.59 set in Gainesville one year after giving birth to her third child. 

Kendra Harrison won two silver medals at the World Championships in Doha 2019 and at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2021. Harrison won the Doha Diamond League race in a wind-assisted 12.43 and clocked a.best legal time of 12.56 in Walnut. 

Tonea Marshall won in Walnut in 12.46 beating Harrison and finished third in Hengelo in 12.70 in her most recent race. The other top contenders are Gabby Cunningham, who reached the Olympic final in Tokyo and won the world indoor bronze medal in the 60m hurdles in Belgrade 2022, and Christina Clemons, world indoor silver medallist in Birmingham 2018, and Alia Armstrong, who won the NCAA title in 12.57 after clocking her PB of 12.55 in the semifinal. 

Women’s 400 metres hurdles: 

Reigning olympic champion Sydney McLaughlin broke the world record twice last year clocking 51.90 at the US Olympic Trials in Eugene and 51.46 in the final of the Olympic Games. McLaughlin set the world leading time with 51.61 in Nashville this year and has run three of the four fastest times in history.  

Reigning world champion Dalilah Muhammad, who holds the second fastest time in history, withdrew on the US National Championships in Eugene due to an injury and received a waiver from USA Track and Field to get a bye into the World Championships as reigning world champion. 

Shamier Little will be looking to bounce back from her fourth place at the US Olympic Trials last year. Little missed the Olympic Games in Tokyo but she set the fifth fastest time in history with 52.39 in Stockolm last year. 

The new name to watch is Britton Wilson, who won the NCAA title in 53.86 and holds a PB of 53.75 and holds a 400m PB of 50.05. 

The other two contenders for a spot in the US team are 2015 world bronze medallist Cassandra Tate and Olympic bronze medallist Ashley Spencer and Anna Cockrell, who finished eighth at the Olympic Games in Tokyo and won two NCAA title in the 100m hurdles in 12.58 and 400m hurdles in 54.68 last year. 

Women’s 800 metres: 

Athing Mu won the Olympic 800m gold medal breaking the US record of 1:55.21 in Tokyo. Mu improved her North American record to 1:55.04 at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene last August. This year Mu won in Rome setting the fastest time in the world with 1:57.01 in her first Diamond League race outside the US soil. She has remained unbeaten for two years. Mu will face olympic bronze medal Raevyn Rogers and this year’s world indoor champion Ajée Wilson, who won a combined eight medals among the Olympic Games, the World indoor and outdoor championships. This year Wilson finished second at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene in 1:58.06 last May and won in New York in 2:00.62. 

Another athlete to watch is Allie Wilson, who improved her PB by 4.38 since 2021 and is ranked fifth in the world this year.  

Women’s 1500m: 

Sinclaire Johnson finished fourth in the 1500m at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene in a lifetime best of 3:58.85 to beat US Olympic Trials winner Ellie Purrier St. Pierre, who clocked 3:59.68. Purrier St. Pierre won the world indoor silver medal at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade in the 3000m. The other top contenders are Cory McGee, who finished 12th in the 1500m final at the Olympic Games, and Josette Norris, who took third place in the Diamond League in Zurich last September. 

Women’s 3000m steeplechase: 

Former world champion Emma Coburn will face Olympic bronze medallist Courtney Frerichs, and Courtney Wayment, who won the NCAA title in Eugene setting the collegiate record of 9.16.00, and Val Constien, who finished third at the US Olympic Trials last year. 

Women’s pole vault: 

Double world indoor champion Sandi Morris will take on Olympic gold medallist Katie Nageotte. Morris and Nageotte train together under the guidance of former 6.04m pole vaulter Brad Walker. 

Morris won the first three Diamond League competitions of the season in Birmingham with 4.73m, Rabat with 4.65m and Rome with 4.81m. Last winter she won the World Indoor gold medal with 4.80m. Morris is one of the only three women to have cleared the 5.00m barrier. 

Nageotte improved her lifetime best to 4.95m at last year’s edition of the US Trials and went on to win the Olympic gold medal with 4.90m. She also won three Diamond League competitions in Doha (4.84m), Monaco (4.90m) and Eugene (4.82m). 

The other contender is Olivia Gruver, who finished fourth at last year’s Olympic Trials. 

Women’s long jump: 

Last year’s NCAA outdoor and indoor champion Tara Davis improved the NCAA record to 7.14m at last year’s NCAA Championships and finished second with 7.00m at the US Trials last year. Davis set an indoor seasonal best of 6.84m in Fayetteville and finished third at the Prefontaine Classic with 6.73m last May. Davis will face Quanesha Burks, who set her lifetime best of 6.96m to finish third at the US Olympic Trials last year, and Jasmine Moore, who won the double NCAA titles in the long and triple jump indoor and outdoors this year. 

High jump: 

Vashti Cunningham is just 24 years old, but she has already collected 10 US titles. The daughter of former NFL champion Randall Cunningham won the world indoor title in Portland in 2016 at the age of 18. She won the world indoor silver in 2018 and the world outdoor bronze medal in Doha 2019. 

Women’s shot put: 

Maggie Ewen, who missed the Olympic team by just three cm last year, is automatically qualified for the World Championships in Eugene as reigning Diamond League champion. Ewen won the US indoor title with 19.79m in Spokane and finished fifth at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade. Ewen will face Chase Ealey, who has extended her winning streak to five consecutive wins this year, including wins in Doha with 19.51m, in Hengelo with 19.98m and in Oslo with 20.13m moving to second in the world seasonal list, 2021 US Olympic Trials Jessica Ramsey, Olympic silver medallist Raven Saunders, 2016 olympic gold medallist Michelle Carter, who is planning to return to competition for the first time since April 2021 after having a benign tumour on her right ankle removed last year, Adelaide Aquilla, NCAA champion with a NCAA record of 19.64m this year. 

Discus throw: 

Olympic champion Valarie Allman set the North American record with 71.46m in La Jolla setting the world best performance in the world in the past 30 years. She is automatically qualified for the World Championships as she is the Diamond League champion. Allman won three of the four Diamond League competitions this year in Bimingham (67.85m), Eugene (68.35m) and Paris (68.68m). Allman will face Rachel Dincoff, who improved her PB to 65.46m, and Laulauga Tausaga, who holds a PB of 64.21m. 

Hammer throw: 

World champion De’Anna Price won the world hammer throw title in Doha 2019 and holds the US record with 80.31m. Price is the second best performer in the world in history behind Anita Wlodarczyk and has a bye for for the World Championships thanks to her win in Doha 2019. Price will face Brooke Andersen, who leads the 2022 US list with 79.02m, Janee Kassanavoid, who improved her lifetime best of 78.00m in Tucson this year, and former US player Gwen Berry.