Here’s a look at some of the top U.S. track and field competitors heading into the Rio Olympics. Track and field competition begins on Aug. 12 and concludes on Aug. 21 with the men’s marathon.
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Ashton Eaton, Decathlon
What can we say about the world’s greatest athlete that hasn’t already been said? This dude is absolutely amazing—like a cartoon superhero! He heads to Rio as the reigning Olympic champion, current world-record holder and multiple world champion. Eaton could become only the third person in history to repeat as the Olympic decathlon champion, and the first American since Bob Mathias did it in 1948-1952. The more compelling story around Eaton might be whether he and his wife—Canadian heptathlete Brianne Theisen-Eaton—will both bring home gold medals in the multi-discipline events. Photo: Dave Albo
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Jenny Simpson, 1,500m
No American runner in this era has been more clutch in big races than Simpson. She’s a three-time Olympian and owns two world championship medals. She placed ninth in the 3,000m steeplechase in the 2008 Olympics, but one of her few hiccups was in 2012, when she didn’t make the finals in the 1,500m. If she continues the form she had at the U.S. Olympic Trials in July, she should wind up on the podium and could challenge for gold. Fellow Americans Brenda Martinez and Shannow Rowbury also have the talent and experience to make it to the Olympic podium, but Simpson was running at another level at the Trials. Photo: Dave Albo
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Galen Rupp, 10,000m & marathon
Will he stick with his plan of tackling the grueling 10,000m/marathon double? Rupp has looked both crazy fit this year and sometimes vulnerable too. Most think the grind of marathon training and his age (30) have resulted in him losing a step or two on the track, but we have no idea how good he can be in the marathon. If he’s within reach in the final mile of either race, you can’t count him out. Photo: Photorun.net
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Allyson Felix, 400m
Felix, 30, hoped to go for an unprecedented 200m/400m double, except she was battling a minor injury and placed fourth in the 200 at the U.S. Olympic Trials (by a mere .01 second!) and didn’t make the team in that event. Not that she needed extra motivation, but it will make her tough to beat in the 400 and she should help the U.S. contend for gold in the 4 x 400m relay too. With six Olympic medals (including four gold) already to her credit, she'll go down as one of the all-time greats no matter what happens in Rio. Photo: Photorun.net
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Evan Jager, 3,000m steeplechase
He’s proven he can run with the best in the world in one of the hardest events on the track. (He runs 4:18 mile pace for 1.86 miles over barriers and water jumps!) He also knows how to rock a solid man-bun too! He set a new U.S. record in 2015 and could be the first American to medal in this event since 1984. Photo: Jeff Cohen
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Emma Coburn, 3,000m steeplechase
Coburn has continued to up her game in recent years—fifth at the world championships last year, a new American record (9:10.76) this year—and should certainly be in the mix for medals in Rio. She made waves with her appearance in ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue in July, but she’s bound to become a breakout star if she comes home with something shiny as the first American to medal in the this relatively new event. Photo: Matt Trappe
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Sydney McLaughlin, 400m hurdles
Yes, she just finished her junior year in high school, but this 17-year-old from New Jersey is world class. She’s the youngest American track athlete in the Olympics since Cindy Gilbert competed in 1972. In all fairness, American Dalilah Muhammad has a better shot at the gold, but it’s reasonable to think that McLaughlin could come home with hardware too. Photo: Matt Trappe
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Molly Huddle, 10,000m
Molly Huddle showed her dominance among her American peers at the U.S. Olympic Trials last month in Eugene, Ore., winning both the 5,000m and 10,000m in convincing fashion. She'll only run the 10,000m in Rio, facing many of the same runners that were in the field at last year's IAAF World Championships in Beijing. That's where she placed a heartbreaking fourth after teammate Emily Infeld snuck by her in the final meters to earn the bronze medal. That's ancient history, but Huddle is still motivated to finish on the podium—and still very capable of doing so—without looking back. However, she'll all start her preparation for the Nov. 6 New York City Marathon the week after the 10,000m final in Rio. Photo: Bob Betancourt
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Matthew Centrowitz, 1,500m
By winning the U.S. Olympic Trials in record-setting fashion he reached his goal of making his second Olympic team to match his dad’s legacy. But what he really wants is to erase the haunting memory of his fourth-place finish in the London Olympics (by just .04 seconds!) four years ago. He seems to be peaking at the right time, so we have to believe he’ll finish in the top three. Photo: Jeff Cohen
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Jenn Suhr, Pole Vault
She might not be faster than a speeding bullet or be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but she could have fooled us! The best American pole vaulter in history (with an Olympic gold in 2012 and numerous records and other international medals), she’s still on top of her game at age 34, having won the indoor world championships in March and the U.S. Olympic Trials in July. Her career-best vault is 16-feet, 6 inches—a height that could easily put her through a second-floor window. Photo: Photorun.net
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Boris Berian/Clayton Murphy, 800m
It’s hard not to like Berian, the guy who was working at McDonald’s two years ago and then this year won a world indoor title and successfully fought off Nike for the right to sign a contract with New Balance. We think he’s a medal contender for sure, but what does that say about Murphy, who could be the best middle-distance runner in America this summer? As crazy as it seems, it’s possible they could both wind up on the podium. Photo: Liz Copan
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Brittney Reese, Long Jump
The best long jumper in the world since 2009, you’d think this woman must have invisible wings! The 2012 Olympic gold medalist and three-time world champion is still in top form heading to Rio after uncorking the world’s longest jump since 2004 (23 feet, 11 3/4 inches) to win the U.S. Olympic Trials in July. Photo: Photorun.net
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Bernard Lagat, 5,000m
It's hard to believe that Bernard Lagat can run so fast at the advanced age of 41. Not only did he win the U.S. Olympic Trials in 13:35.50 with a 52.8-second last lap on July 9 in Eugene, Ore., he rebounded from that effort to place third in an even faster race in London two weeks later, setting a new master's world record of 13:14.96. He seems to be in prime form and has plenty of experience, so it's hard to count him out in his fifth and likely final Olympics. Photo: Photorun.net
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Amy Cragg, Desi Linden, Shalane Flanagan, Marathon
Given how well they ran at the U.S. Olympic Trials, Desi Linden and Amy Cragg seem to the be capable of competing well at the Olympic marathon. But Shalane Flanagan has the best PR among the U.S. women, the most Olympic experience and perhaps the best closing speed. While the podium is within the reach of each of them, we could envision top 10 finishes for all three. Photo: PhotoRun.net
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