The Ultimate 2022 USA Sprint Countdown: From #10 To #1, We Preview & Rank The Sprint Events For You At The 2022 USATF Outdoor Championships

By Robert Johnson & Jonathan Gault
June 22, 2022

The 2022 USATF Outside Championships begin on Thursday in Eugene. The monitor and subject shall be scorching as regular however it helps if you already know what you might be watching. And let’s be trustworthy, you possibly can’t at all times belief the announcers to fill you in accurately in order that’s why you come to LetsRun.com to get knowledgeable.

We’ve already previewed the space races for you so now it’s time to preview the sprints.

And the US sprints are loaded. A yr after the US males didn’t win a single monitor gold in Tokyo, it’s potential (however unlikely) they might win gold in all 5 dash occasions in 2022. For the ladies, Allyson Felix will look to make one final staff whereas Abby Steiner will look to win her first US title and Sha’Carri Richardson will go for her first official US title after shedding final yr’s after testing optimistic for marijuana. Plus Sydney McLaughlin is at all times trying to find a world report. We’ve ranked all 10 dash occasions so as of our pleasure stage from least (#10) to most (#1). The highest 5 are all must-see races.

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#10. Ladies’s 100 hurdles: Can unheralded Alaysha Johnson hold it going?

Prime Entrants

2019 world champ Nia Ali missed the Olympics as she had her third little one however she’s again and has a wild card into Worlds. You at all times desire a wild card on this occasion within the US because the US is at all times superb at it.

Ali is simply the eighth quickest American of 2022 at 12.59 however that ranks her thirteenth on the earth. The US chief is unheralded Alaysha Johnson. The 25-year-old, who ran at Oregon for 4 years earlier than doing a yr at Texas Tech, got here into the yr with only a 12.69 pb however has run 12.50w, 12.50, 12.59, and 12.40 in her 4 races this yr. She was by no means increased than 4th at NCAAs in faculty so prime 3 right here could be an enormous step up in school.

World report holder and Olympic silver medallist Kendra Harrison was solely eighth at Pre after selecting up wins in Tokyo and Doha.

#9. Males’s 400 hurdles: Is Rai Benjamin wholesome?

Prime entrants

Rai Benjamin is the 2nd quickest man in historical past (46.17) and the second man on the 2022 world record (47.49) however his well being is an enormous query. He hasn’t raced since Could 13 and was a no-show on the Prefontaine Basic, which is generally a required race for individuals sponsored by Nike, as is the case with Rai.

#8. Ladies’s 400: Can Allyson Felix make one final staff?

Prime Entrants

Allyson Felix, 36, has had a a tremendous profession and that is her final USAs. She’s gained 9 US outside crowns (200 in ’04, ’05, ’07, ’08, ’09, ’12 and 400 in ’11, ’15, ’16) however none since 2016 so don’t count on that to go to double digits. The true query is can she sneak herself onto one other US staff?

At 50.71, she is tied for #5 on the 2021 US record however two of the individuals forward of her aren’t working so she’s received shot. And bear in mind, she gained the Olympic bronze medal lower than a yr in the past.

The ten Quickest US Ladies of 2022 at 400
1 49.99 Talitha Diggs
2 50.05 Britton Wilson – working 400 hurdles
3 50.42 Athing Mu – working 800
4 50.45 Kennedy Simon
5 50.71 Allyson Felix
5 50.71 Alexis Holmes
7 50.89 Tierra Robinson-Jones
8 50.94 Shae Anderson
9 51 Kendall Ellis
10 51.03 Lynna Irby

With the 5-time Olympian Felix on the way in which out, it’s solely acceptable that the US usher in somebody to exchange her. And there’s a nice prospect for somebody to take her place with a protracted profession — 2022 NCAA indoor and outside champ Talitha Diggs of Florida. Diggs is the daughter of four-time 800m Olympian Joetta Clark Diggs.

Final yr’s champ Quanera Hayes has solely run 53.29 this yr however she has a bye because the DL champ. Final yr’s third placer Wadeline Jonathas has solely run 51.71 this yr.

#7 Ladies’s 200: Does Abby Steiner take down an Olympic medallist and win US title #1?

Prime Entrants

Harvard grad Gabby Thomas gained the Olympics Trials final yr and went on to win Olympic bronze. This yr she began purple scorching (21.69, +3.1 on March 26) however solely ran 11.31 in her final race in Birmingham over a month in the past. The red-hot girl now could be Kentucky’s Abby Steiner, who gained NCAAs in a meet report of 21.80 which is also the world chief.

#6 Males’s 400: Can Michael Norman keep scorching?

Prime Entrants

With a pb of 43.45, Michael Norman is the co-#4 quickest man in historical past however he’s by no means gained a medal at Worlds. That streak wants to finish this yr because the seven different males in historical past who’ve run 43.50 or quicker have all gained international gold whereas Norman hasn’t gained even a bronze.

The 7 Quickest 400m males in historical past
1 43.03 Wayde van Niekerk RSA
2 43.18 Michael Johnson USA
3 43.29 Butch Reynolds USA
4 43.45 Jeremy Wariner USA
4 43.45 Michael Norman USA
6 43.48 Steven Gardiner BAH
7 43.50 Quincy Watts USA

NCAA champ Randolph Ross of North Carolina A&T/Tennessee has run 44.13 this yr and is #3 on the earth whereas Michael Cherry (44.28) and NCAA runner-up Champion Allison of Florida (44.29) are #5 and #6. All three of them plus Norman may conceivably make the staff as Cherry has the wild card as Diamond League champ.

#5 Ladies’s 400 hurdles: One other WR for Sydney McLaughlin?

Prime Entrants

Sydney McLaughlin doesn’t race many 400-meter hurdle finals. However when she does race, she makes them depend. After not racing in any respect in 2020, McLaughlin ran three 400H finals in 2021 and broke the world report in two of them, taking it from 52.16 all the way in which right down to 51.46. And in her solely 400H last of 2022 to date, the Olympic champ ran 51.61 – the #3 time in historical past – although hurdles 5 and 6 were in the wrong spots, forcing McLaughlin to regulate her stride sample on the fly. Although McLaughlin withdrew from her final race forward of USAs after coach Bobby Kersee noticed one thing amiss in her warmup on the USATF NYC Grand Prix, she would be the heavy favourite to repeat as US champion. And McLaughlin’s historical past says the time ought to be fast – assuming the hurdles are in the suitable spot this time.

It might probably’t be forgotten that Dalilah Muhammad is additionally an Olympic gold medallist and former world report holder who ran within the 51s final yr (51.58). She has had fairly a rivalry with McLaughlin during the last three years, however she gained’t compete this weekend in Eugene due to injury (although she has acquired a waiver from USATF with the intention to use her wild card as world champ to compete at Worlds subsequent month).

#4 Ladies’s 100: Sha’Carri Richardson returns to USAs seeking first (official) title

Prime Entrants

Anytime Sha’Carri Richardson competes, it’s an enormous deal. From the hair to the nails to the outfits to the otherworldly sprinting expertise, the 22-year-old is aware of the way to placed on a present. One workers member is so into the present he needed this race ranked #1, however he was talked off the ledge by one other declaring the winner of this race isn’t prone to battle for WC gold.

Richardson was unimaginable finally yr’s Olympic Trials (windy 10.64 within the semis, then 10.86 right into a 1.0 headwind within the last) however her standing as US champion lasted lower than two weeks as she was DQ’d for testing optimistic for marijuana.

Which means she’ll be on the lookout for her first (official) US title and first international championship berth this weekend in Eugene, and whereas she’s a powerful wager to make the staff, she’s not the favourite. That will be fellow LSU alum Aleia Hobbs, the US chief at 10.83 who has crushed Richardson in each of their head-to-head matchups this yr. 

#3 Males’s 100: Who wins a loaded race and do they develop into the Worlds favourite?

Prime Entrants

It’s an odd incontrovertible fact that, in a rustic with Christian Coleman, Trayvon Bromell, and Fred Kerley, there is just one American who has damaged 9.90 wind-legal this yr and it’s a 20-year-old who completed seventh at NCAAs, Micah Williams of Oregon. Count on that to alter this weekend. The nice and cozy forecast in Eugene ought to be good for sprinting and the entire males listed above shall be trying to state their case as the person to beat in monitor & subject’s marquee occasion.

Except for “Who wins?” and “How briskly do they run?” the opposite huge query is who will get the fourth spot on Workforce USA. Coleman has the bye as defending champ, and Bromell and Kerley ought to be a part of him on the staff, barring catastrophe. Williams is a humongous expertise and was fifth at USAs final yr, however he melted down at NCAAs with out a proof (he didn’t communicate to media after the race). If he doesn’t bounce again, the fourth spot is vast open.

#2 Males’s 110 hurdles: The highest 3 on the earth in 2022 and the #2 and #3 in historical past sq. off

Prime Entrants

The 110 hurdles received an entire lot extra attention-grabbing on June 12 when Devon Allen ripped a 12.84 on the USATF NYC Grand Prix, knocking .15 off his pb to become the third-fastest man in history. Within the course of, he took down the second-fastest man in historical past, Grant Holloway, blowing away the reigning world champion over the ultimate two hurdles.

And as if Allen vs. Holloway wasn’t sufficient for you, NCAA champion Trey Cunningham of Florida State has run 13.00 this yr – simply .02 shy of Holloway’s collegiate report from 2019. With the Allen-Cunningham-Holloway trio sitting 1-2-3 on the 2022 world record, whoever wins right here will develop into the favourite to take gold at Worlds subsequent month in Eugene. Holloway has no strain as he’s received a bye to Worlds.

#1 Males’s 200: Lyles vs. Knighton

Prime Entrants

What a deal with we’ve in retailer on this race. In a single lane, you’ve received one of many best dash prospects ever, 18-year-old Erriyon Knighton, the world chief and already the fourth-fastest man in historical past because of his 19.49 season opener at LSU in April. Within the different, Noah Lyles, the reigning US and world champion who’s coming off a 19.61 (#2 on the earth this yr) in his final race on the USATF NYC Grand Prix on June 12. That was the eighth time that the 24-year-old Lyles has damaged 19.7 in his profession – greater than double anybody else in historical past not named Bolt.

Knighton has solely raced as soon as since that 19.49, working 10.14 for 100m at Pre on Could 28, so it’s a little bit laborious to know what to anticipate. He may present up, run 19.3, and blast everybody. Or that 19.49 may wind up being his season’s finest. 19.49 is actually freaking quick and it’s unfair to count on anybody to achieve that stage of efficiency in each competitors, not to mention somebody who is eighteen years previous.

Lyles, in the meantime, appears to be like pretty much as good as he ever has. And, maybe simply as vital, he feels good, too. Lyles struggled mightily together with his psychological well being throughout the pandemic and he started taking antidepressants throughout the summer season of 2020. However that introduced its personal challenges, as Lyles felt the medicine sapped his power. Regardless that he ran 19.52 final yr (simply .02 off his pb) and earned an Olympic bronze medal, after his race in New York he pointed to an image of himself from 2021 and described it as “worst-year Noah.”

The enjoyment is again for Lyles in 2022, and now he will get a marquee showdown with Knighton (whom he has by no means misplaced to at 200m) in addition to Olympic 100m silver medalist Fred Kerley (19.80 sb) and Olympic 200m silver medalist Kenny Bednarek (20.01 sb). Few occasions at USAs will pack extra star energy.

What do you consider our rankings of the dash occasions? What are you most wanting ahead to? Inform us on our world-famous messageboard/fan discussion board.

MB: Which sprint event is your #1 for USAs, we count down and preview our top 10.

Extra: Full 2022 USATF Outside Protection
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