The 10th and final day of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials started earlier than originally planned on Sunday. The final events of the day have been pushed into the evening.
The 10th and final day of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials started earlier than originally planned on Sunday. The final events of the day have been pushed into the evening. By Scott Cacciola The hot temperatures were nearly unbearable at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials in recent days. But meet officials finally pulled the plug on the races at about 3:30 p.m. Pacific Time on Sunday, announcing in a terse statement that they were postponing the final day of competition until 8:30 p.m. The event will now be televised on NBCSN instead of NBC. The scoreboard inside Hayward Field at the University of Oregon indicated that the temperature was 105 degrees when the announcement was made. The postponement was announced about 30 minutes before the men’s long jumpers were set to compete — and less than an hour before the runners in the men’s 1,500 meters were set to run their final. The heat should not have come as a surprise to meet officials; temperatures were forecast to approach 110 degrees by mid-afternoon. Several marquee finals are scheduled for today — or tonight, rather — including the men’s 1,500, the men’s 200 and the women’s 400 hurdles. The men’s high jump managed to wrap up before the afternoon session was postponed. JuVaughn Harrison won the event, while Darryl Sullivan finished second and Shelby McEwen finished third. The women’s heptathlon has one event remaining — the 800 — with Kendell Williams holding a slim two-point lead over Annie Kunz. Erica Bougard is in a comfortable third. — Scott Cacciola Gabby Thomas,24, is a Harvard graduate who is working toward a master’s degree in epidemiology. She is also a first-time Olympian. On Saturday, she raced away from a deep and talented field to win the women’s 200 meters in 21.61 seconds, which was the third-fastest time in history. Only Florence Griffith-Joyner has ever run faster, and Thomas — who obliterated her own personal best — says she’s primed for Tokyo. She cited the importance of balance in her life. “Being in school really makes me appreciate what I’m doing on the track,” said Thomas, who now trains and studies in Texas.
