USA Track & Field team announced for World Athletics Championships Budapest 23
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis-based USA Track & Field has announced that its full 139-person roster will contend against the world’s best athletes at this year’s world outdoor championship event.
The team is filled with experience and accomplishments.
Team USA is coming off of a dominant performance from the 2022 world championships in Eugene, Oregon. That event marked the USA’s first World Athletics Team Trophy for an historic total of 33 medals. Thirteen of those medals were gold.
Nearly 60% of the 2022 USA team from Eugene will be back for World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 in just under two weeks.
Let’s get straight to who made the USA team and some important notes to keep in mind for some of the events.
Women
100 meters: Sha’Carri Richardson, Brittany Brown, Tamari Davis; The battle between Richardson and Jamaica’s own Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson in both the women’s 100 and 200 will be nothing short of intense.
200 meters: Sha’Carri Richardson, Gabby Thomas, Kayla White
400 meters: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Britton Wilson, Talitha Diggs; McLaughlin-Levrone has quickly powered her way to a 48.74 in this event, and she surely has more to show. She is the world record holder in the women’s 400 meter hurdles. Wilson has been a force this year with a collegiate record 49.13 as she just signed her first professional contract with Adidas.
800 meters: Athing Mu, Nia Akins, Kaela Edwards, Raevyn Rogers; Mu will not represent in the 1,500 meters and is defending her title in the 800.
1,500 meters: Cory McGee, Sinclaire Johnson, Nikki Hiltz; Johnson was able to make the team due to Athing Mu scratching her 1,500 meter spot. These three will have a near insurmountable task of medaling in this event, especially given Faith Kipyegon’s (Kenya) world record streak she’s been on this year.
3,000 meter steeplechase: Krissy Gear, Emma Coburn, Courtney Wayment
5,000 meters: Alicia Monson, Elise Cranny, Natosha Rogers
10,000 meters: Alicia Monson, Elise Cranny, Natosha Rogers
35K race walk: Stephanie Casey, Miranda Melville, Maria Michta-Coffey
Marathon: Keira D’Amato, Lindsay Flanagan, Susanna Sullivan
100 meter hurdles: Nia Ali, Keni Harrison, Masai Russell
400 meter hurdles: Anna Cockrell, Shamier Little, Dalilah Muhammad
High Jump: Vashti Cunningham
Pole Vault: Hana Moll, Katie Moon, Sandi Morris, Bridget Williams
Long Jump: Quanesha Burks, Tara Davis-Woodhall, Jasmine Moore
Triple Jump: Tori Franklin, Jasmine Moore, Keturah Orji
Shot Put: Adelaide Aquilla, Jalani Davis, Chase Ealey, Maggie Ewen
Discus: Valarie Allman, Elena Bruckner, Veronica Fraley, Lagi Tausaga-Collins
Hammer Throw: Brooke Andersen, Janee’ Kassanavoid, DeAnna price, Jillian Shippee
Javelin: Ariana Ince, Maggie Malone
Heptathlon: Taliyah Brooks, Anna Hall, Chari Hawkins
Relay pool (additional athletes): Tamara Clark, Makenzie Dunmore, Rosey Effiong, Quanera Hayes, Alexis Holmes, Lynna Irby-Jackson (fun fact: went to Pike High School in northwest Indy), Melissa Jefferson, Twanisha Terry
Men
100 meters: Fred Kerley, Cravont Charleston, Christian Coleman, Noah Lyles; It is reasonable to think that the men’s 100 is much more wide open this year. Kerley is going to have a much tougher task of defending his world title. Charleston was recently injured in relay camp, and this will put a big strain on the USA in this event.
200 meters: Noah Lyles, Erriyon Knighton, Kenneth Bednarek, Courtney Lindsey; Can Lyles do the unthinkable and break Usain Bolts 200 meter world record? Will Lyles achieve gold in the 100 as well? He is the clear favorite, but the young phenom Knighton is lurking right behind him.
400 meters: Michael Norman, Vernon Norwood, Bryce Deadmon, Quincy Hall; Although Norman is listed here, he has not performed well in 2023. This will be an incredibly difficult ask for these four athletes to take on others such as Steven Gardiner (Bahamas) and the world record holder Wayde Van Niekerk (South Africa).
800 meters: Clayton Murphy, Bryce Hoppel, Isaiah Harris; There has been no pure dominant men’s 800 meter runner in the last two years. It’s once again wide open for the taking, but the Kenyan’s, Marco Arop (Canda), and Algerian duo Djamel Sidjati/Slimane Moula will all fight for it.
1,500 meters: Yared Nuguse, Cole Hocker, Joe Waskom; This is a very exciting trio of talent. Nuguse just set the American record in this event of 3:29.02, and Indianapolis’s own Cole Hocker looks to get redemption after missing last year’s world meet. However, Norway’s own Jakob Ingebrigsten is on a warpath that will be virtually impossible to stop.
3,000 meter steeplechase: Benard Keter, Kenneth Rooks, Isaac Updike; Rooks (runs for BYU) went from falling in the USATF 3,000 meter steeplechase final to claiming his first national title in the event. However, the international skill level in this event is mere legendary with entrants Lamecha Girma (Ethiopia, world record holder), Soufiane El Bakkali (Morroco), and Simon Koech (Kenya).
5,000 meters: Paul Chelimo, Sean McGorty, Abdihamid Nur; It is unfortunate that Grant Fisher will not be representing the team for this year’s world outdoor meet. He had a fifth place finish in the Tokyo Olympics and fourth place finish last year in the world meet in Eugene.
10,000 meters: Woody Kincaid, Joe Klecker, Sean McGorty
20K race walk: Nick Chirstie
Marathon: Elkaneh Kibet, Nico Montanez, Zach Panning; Notable missing entrant in this event is Galen Rupp
110 meter hurdles: Grant Holloway, Freddie Crittenden, Daniel Roberts, Cordell Tinch; The USA is loaded in this event. The second fastest in this event ever (Holloway) will try to add a third straight world title. Tinch is an amazing story by itself as he was out of track and field for three years up until 2023.
400 meter hurdles: Rai Benjamin, CJ Allen, Trevor Bassitt; There’s only one thing to say for this event: Karsten Warholm (world record holder) vs. Rai Benjamin
High Jump: JuVaughn Harrison, Shelby McEwen, Vernon Turner; Harrison is on his first world’s team after a bit of a disappointing 2022 season. He was an astounding long and high jumper at LSU.
Pole Vault: Chris Nilsen, Zach Bradford, Zach McWhorter; These three excellent pole vaulters will have a tall order in trying to overcome Sweden’s own Armand Duplantis.
Long Jump: Marquis Dendy, Jarrion Lawson, Will Williams
Triple Jump: Chris Benard, Will Claye, Donald Scott
Shot Put: Ryan Crouser, Joe Kovacs, Josh Awotunde, Payton Otterdahl; Crouser’s shotput dominance the last two years is unlike anyone has ever seen. He is the only shotput athlete to throw over 23.50 meters.
Discus: Sam Mattis, Turner Washington, Brian Williams
Hammer Throw: Daniel Haugh, Rudy Winkler, Alex Young
Javelin: Ethan Dabbs, Curtis Thompson, Capers Williamson
Decathlon: Kyle Garland, Harrison Williams, Zach Ziemek
Relay pool (additional athletes): Chris Bailey, Matthew Boling, Brandon Carnes, Justin Robinson, JT Smith, Kendal Williams, Ryan Willie