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Photo by: Kirby Lee-Image of Sport
Benjamin On To Men’s 400m H Final, Smith & Ali To Women’s 100m H Semis At 2024 U.S. Olympic T&F Team Trials
June 28, 2024 | Track & Field
De Grasse wins Canada’s 100m title to get automatic qualifying berth to Paris Olympics
Rai Benjamin advanced to the men's 400m hurdles finals and Jalaysiya Smith and Nia Ali advanced to the women's 100m hurdles semifinals during the sixth day of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team Trials held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. today (June 28). Also, Andre De Grasse won the Canadian men's 100m dash title today to earn a berth to the Paris Olympics.
At the Canadian Track & Field Trials in Montreal, Can. –
- Rai Benjamin (USC, 2018), the 2020 Olympic 400m hurdles silver medalist, cruised to victory in his 400m hurdles semifinal heat with a time of 47.97. He was the top qualifier for the final on Sunday at 5:20 p.m.
- Junior Jalaysiya Smith and Nia Ali (USC, 2011) were the first Trojans to compete today and they both advanced to the women's 100m hurdles semifinals Saturday at 5:04 p.m. The top five automatically would advance, but after scratches, all runners would advance. Smith placed fifth in her heat with a time of 12.93 (+0.2) and Ali, who said she had a difficult warmup, just jogged through and finished with a time of 20.38 (+0.1). Ali won a silver medal in the event at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
- Sophomore Max Thomas had a time of 20.81 (+2.5w) to place 21st in the men's 200m semifinals.
- Sophomore Jassani Carter (22.50), freshman Madison Whyte (23.12), TeeTee Terry (USC, 2021), already qualified in the 100m for Paris, (22.62) and Caisja Chandler (USC, 2023 - 23.25) did not advance out of the women's 200m semifinals. The top nine advanced and Carter was 11th and Terry 13th.
- Isaiah Jewett (USC, 2021 - 1:46.22) and Bobby Poynter (USC, 2023 – 1:48.41) ran in the men's 800m semifinals today, but did not advance.
At the Canadian Track & Field Trials in Montreal, Can. –
- Andre De Grasse (USC, 2015) and Aaron Brown (USC, 2014) finished first and third respectively in the 100m final today. They both had a time of 10.10 in the semis and De Grasse had a time of 10.20 (-0.2) and Brown 10.25 (-0.2) in the final. De Grasse gets the only automatic qualifying spot in the Canadian system, as only the event winners are guaranteed, the rest are decided by a committee. De Grasse is a 6-time and Brown a 2-time Olympic medalist.
- Kyra Constantine (USC, 2021) advanced to the women's 400m final with a time of 52.08.
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