Rio 2016 Olympics!

In this installment of my blog about running, we will be talking about the upcoming Olympics and what it will take to make the team! The Pacific Northwest is home to the historical Hayward Field, which will once again be the site of the USATF Olympic Trials in July. Athletes from all over the country will gather here to try and place in the top 3 of their event for a trip to Rio De Janeiro. An athlete must not only place top 3, but also must have a time that meets the Olympic standard. The “B” standard must be attained prior to the trials because it grants the athlete entry. The “A” standard is the tough one to achieve, it is the one that grants you a spot on the Olympic team if you place top 3. You can place top 3 at the trials, but if you don’t have the standard then you won’t travel with the team to Rio. The next closest finisher with the “A” standard will take your place instead.

Now on to the meat and potatoes of this post; the predictions. This fields for each event are always loaded with tremendous talent. I will only be analyzing the 800 meter run because it was my favorite event in high school. In this event, defending champion Nick Symmonds will try and defend his title against a sea of top professionals and even some rising college stars. Donovan Brazier, a true freshman at Texas A&M, recently ran a 1:45.93 on an indoor track which earned him the U.S Junior Record. The former record was a 1:47 set way back in 1982. Other challengers for the Olympic trials bid include Duane Soloman, Boris Berian, Erik Sowinski, Cas Loxsom, and maybe some more college stars like Clayton Murphy and Brandon Kidder. I have always loved watching Kidder and Loxsom run because they both are from Penn State. Kidder is currently a senior and Loxsom graduated and is now a professional runner for Brooks. 

I feel like the race will be a very tactical one with the winner decided in the final 150 meters of the race. I would really like for Nick to win again because he is such a class act and fights for equal rights for track athletes. My ideal team to go to Rio would be Symmonds, Berian, and Kidder. It all depends on who has the wheels to go with Symmonds over the final lap. He is a great finisher and has a reputation for running in the back until the 300 meters. Berian is a recent breakout star and is having a great indoor season so far. He is looking strong after he ran a 1:46 last weekend. Finally, we have Brandon Kidder. He is one of my favorite athletes to watch because he looks so fluent when he runs. He really drives with his arms and has phenomenal closing speed. He also has some mile strength to him with a recent 3:55 mile. Overall, I can’t contain my excitement for this race and all of the races in July because of the incredible amount of competition. This year’s Olympics will sure be one to watch.