USATF Outdoor Champs: Masai Russell, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone win; men's 1500m stunner
Russell ran two of the fastest 100m hurdles times in history: 12.25 seconds in the first round, then 12.22 in the final at the Toyota USA Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
It was just off Russell's American record of 12.17 from this past May, which is the second-fastest time in history behind Nigerian Tobi Amusan's world record of 12.12 from 2022.
Russell is joined on the team for September's World Championships in Tokyo by Grace Stark and Alaysha Johnson, who also joined her on the Paris Olympic team.
USATF OUTDOORS: Results | Broadcast Schedule
Sydney McLaughin-Levrone wins 400m sans hurdles
Also Saturday, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone won the U.S. title in the flat 400m in 48.90, opting for that event over the 400m hurdles, where she is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and the world record holder.
She said that she 'had an idea' going into the July 5 Prefontaine Classic that she wanted to focus on the 400m this summer. After 2025, she is keeping her options open between the 400m and 400m hurdles going toward the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
'It's (the 400m) not as comfortable for us, but I want to challenge myself,' McLaughlin-Levrone said. 'I felt like this is a year I want to step out of the box and really push myself in a different way.'
She is the world's third-fastest woman this year in the flat 400m behind Olympic silver and gold medalists Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain (48.67) and Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic (48.81).
No woman has won World Championships medals in both the flat 400m and the 400m hurdles in their career.
In 2023, McLaughlin-Levrone ran the flat 400m at nationals when she had a bye into the World Championships in the 400m hurdles as defending world champion. That year, she planned to race strictly the flat 400m at worlds before withdrawing before the meet due to injury.
In Saturday's men's 400m, Jacory Patterson went from working overnights loading UPS trucks to winning his first U.S. title in 44.16. He is the world's third-fastest man in 2025 with a best of 43.98.
The event lacked 2024 Olympic gold medalist Quincy Hall and 2022 World champion Michael Norman, neither of whom entered nationals. Hall has dealt with injury this season, and Norman has missed significant time due to injuries in recent years.
Quincy Wilson, who last year with the 4x400m became the youngest male Olympic track gold medalist in history at age 16, was 11th overall in the semifinals.
Jonah Koech was the surprise men's 1500m champion, going from sixth on the outside at the start of the final curve. Koech competed in the 1500m at nationals for the first time after previously racing the 800m, including placing fifth at the Olympic Trials.
Koech, who deemed himself 70% after Thursday's first round due to a hamstring injury, clocked 3:30.17, edging recent NCAA standout Ethan Strand by eight hundredths.
Hocker made the world team in the third and last spot. He was followed by Hobbs Kessler (fifth at the Olympics) and Yared Nuguse (Olympic bronze medalist). Now Kessler or Nuguse can only make the world team by winning the Diamond League Final later this month.
In the women's 1500m, Nikki Hiltz won a record-extending sixth consecutive U.S. title (indoors and outdoors) dating 2023.
Hiltz pulled away from U.S. mile record holder Sinclaire Johnson to prevail in 4:03.15.
All of the favorites advanced in the men's 110m hurdles except Olympic silver medalist Daniel Roberts, who scratched out of the first round.
Field event winners included two-time world champion Chase Jackson (shot put, top four throws of the event). Plus Olympic long jump and triple jump bronze medalist Jasmine Moore (triple jump, top six jumps of the event).
For the first time, the Para National Championships are being held in conjunction with the USATF Outdoor Championships.
Paris gold medalist Hunter Woodhall took the men's T62 400m in 45.79, nine hundredth off his world record (pending ratification) from July.
Saturday's standouts also included Paralympic T12 100m gold medalist Noah Malone, who clocked 10.62 seconds, beating his Paris winning time by nine hundredths.
In the women's 100m, two-time Paralympic T47 silver medalist Brittni Mason crossed in 12.23, just off her final time from Paris of 12.10.
Para athletes are preparing for World Championships in New Delhi, India, from Sept. 26-Oct. 5.
Nationals end Sunday with finals including the men's and women's 200m and 400m hurdles and the men's 110m hurdles (4-6 p.m. ET, NBC and Peacock).
Nick Zaccardi,
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone ran a season's-best time of 48.90 seconds to win the women's 400m at the 2025 Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
Jacory Patterson (44.16 seconds) held off Chris Bailey (44.43) and Khaleb McRae (44.45) to win the men's 400m at the 2025 Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Chicago Tribune
2 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
French rider Pauline Ferrand-Prévôt wins women's Tour de France at her first attempt
CHATEL, France — French rider Pauline Ferrand-Prévôt won the women's Tour de France at her first attempt on Sunday, launching an attack to clinch the final stage and increase her overnight lead. It gave Ferrand-Prévôt a resounding victory. She finished 3 minutes, 42 seconds ahead of 2023 champion Demi Vollering of the Netherlands and 4:09 clear of defending champion Kasia Niewiadoma of Poland. 'After my Olympic title, I said I would try to win the Tour de France in the next three years,' said the 33-year-old Ferrand-Prévôt, an Olympic champion in mountain biking at last year's Paris Games. 'So here I am, the first (time).' There was little of the drama of last year's final day, which produced a four-second winning margin for the narrowest victory in the history of the women's and men's races. 'My teammates worked super hard for me all week long. I just want to say thank you and congrats to them,' said Ferrand-Prévôt, who rides for the Visma–Lease a Bike team. 'I love you so much girls, and thank you for everything.' Ferrand-Prévôt had put herself largely in control by winning Saturday's eighth and penultimate stage with an audacious solo breakaway on the last climb. That gave her an overnight lead of 2:37 seconds over Australian rider Sarah Gigante and 3:18 over Vollering. Sunday's ninth stage from Praz-sur-Arly to Châtel was a 124-kilometer (77-mile) trek featuring three big mountain climbs. But Ferrand-Prévôt did not face any big attacks and instead launched one of her own with 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) left. The crowds cheered her all the way to the finish line and, moments later, the tears flowed as she lay on her back, exhausted but elated. Vollering was 20 seconds behind in second place and Niewiadoma followed in third place as they sprinted to the line. Earlier, Ferrand-Prévôt was with Gigante and a few others when they tackled the mammoth climb up Col de Joux Plane — an 11.6-kilometer grind with a gradient of 8.5%. Gigante is known to have trouble descending at speed and was dropped on the long downhill. She could not make the time up, especially with no teammates to help her, and lost her podium spot, finishing sixth overall. Having won Olympic gold and conquered the cobblestones of the Paris-Roubaix classic, Ferrand-Prévôt added another line to her glittering resumé with a Tour victory, 11 years after winning the world road race title.
Yahoo
6 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Dina Asher-Smith sets championship record to seal 200m title at British nationals
Dina Asher-Smith produced a championship record and pipped Amy Hunt to gold in the women's 200m at the UK Athletics Championships. The 29-year-old held off a fightback from 100m UK champion Hunt and got her head beyond the line a thousandth of a second before her rival, with Daryll Neita third in Birmingham. Asher-Smith led round the bend but Hunt looked to overtake the three-time Olympic medallist - but the line came just in time for Asher-Smith. There was a nervous wait before the stadium announcement revealed she took the crown with a time of 22.14 seconds. Asher-Smith said: 'It was an excellent race, we needed a photo-finish because neither of us knew who had won. 'I have done this for long enough to know the only thing that matters is the Championships and Tokyo round-by-round, so I mind my own business and focus on myself. I am in great shape, and there are a few things in there that I can still tweak, so I am happy.' Asher-Smith's time would have been enough for her to get bronze in Paris last year, showing the upward trajectory of her performance, and she believes she is in a good place ahead of the upcoming World Championships in Tokyo. She added: 'I've been in great shape for quite a long time but it's about being in a good place that makes sense to you. It's a really strong place to be ahead of a championship.' Georgia Hunter Bell added another UK title to her collection with victory in the 800m. She had to work hard for her title though, facing competition from Jemma Reekie - who finished second - and it was not until the final 150m that she got her nose in front, crossing the line in 1:59.53 to claim gold. Hunter Bell runs in both the 800m and 1500m races but has still not made a decision on which discipline she will pick at the Tokyo games. She explained: 'I am not going to make the decision until after I have run my next Diamond League 1500 and 800, so I have a bit of time to think. 'The cons are that I am probably in better shape over 800 on the world stage, but the 1500 is first - it is hard to decide.' Asked whether she thinks she can beat Keely Hodgkinson, who may run in the same race in Tokyo next month, she added: 'I don't know. 'We train together all the time. But she's such a good athlete and it will be the first time we've raced where we're kind of close.' Paris 2024 silver medallist Josh Kerr earned an emphatic victory in the men's 5000m final. He was always one of the most prominent in the field and he started to stretch out the pack alongside Rory Leonard, who sprinted clear from the pack. However, Kerr claimed the lead with two laps to go and did not look back, leaving his opponents to finish in 13 minutes 23.78 seconds. Jack Kavanagh and Leonard were second and third respectively. He said: 'It was always going to be tough out there over the last mile but I really enjoyed the first eight laps. Elsewhere, Amber Anning won the women's 400m final in front of Victoria Ohuruogu and Charlie Dobson claimed gold in the men's race. Zharnel Hughes completed a double gold, setting a new championship record as he won the men's 200m just 24 hours after winning the 100m. He dedicated his 100m gold to his late aunt, whose funeral took place in Anguilla this weekend, and which he was forced to miss in order to compete in Birmingham.
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Canada's Victoria Mboko stuns No. 1 seed Coco Gauff to reach NBO quarterfinals
MONTREAL — Even Victoria Mboko couldn't believe what she achieved. It was billed as the tournament's marquee match. A rising Canadian star — and last remaining singles hope from the host country — facing her stiffest test yet against the No. 1 seed. And she blew past her in just 62 minutes. Mboko's stellar run at the National Bank Open hit a new level Saturday with a dominant 6-1, 6-4 victory over Coco Gauff of the United States, lifting the 18-year-old from Toronto into the quarterfinals before a raucous, sellout crowd at IGA Stadium. 'I don't even know what to say,' said Mboko, smiling in disbelief. 'I was shocked about it all. Everything came so fast. There were so many people. I feel like tonight I'll let it soak in a little bit more, but I'm still on the high a little bit.' The whole year has been a high. Mboko's ranking rocketed to 85th in the world this week after she began the year outside the top 300. That number is projected to jump into the 50s with her performance in Montreal, and her rise appears unlikely to end there. After major crowd support for Eugenie Bouchard early in the tournament, the buzz in Montreal shifted around Mboko as the teenage sensation took centre court. Mboko met the moment, flashing the powerful groundstrokes and blistering serve that few opponents have had answers for on the pro circuit this season. "Your support was incredible," Mboko told the crowd in French after a chorus of "Olé, Olé, Olé!" chants echoed around the venue. "I'm really happy to win today." 'When I was up 5-4, the crowd started cheering even louder, and everything got super noisy,' she later added. 'I used that as more fuel for myself and to pump myself up a little bit more. I just used the crowd to my advantage as much as I could.' Gauff, meanwhile, made unforced error after unforced error, firing some shots long and many more into the net. Mboko, who will play Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain, saved all four breakpoint opportunities while converting four of her five chances. She also won nearly 60 per cent of the points, her 11 unforced errors half of Gauff's 22 on a dismal night for the American star. The youngster is only the second teenager — and first Canadian — to defeat Gauff, as well as the first player this season to not drop a single service game against her. 'I knew she would come in with a lot of confidence,' Gauff said. 'I knew that it would be tough. I don't know, I just felt like I could do better today, but I also knew that if I took my foot off the gas a little bit, that she would take advantage of those moments, and she did. 'She's playing high-level tennis. I think that's what showed today. I think she was the better player.' The first set took a swift 25 minutes. The 21-year-old Gauff double-faulted on the third point of the match, leading to an early break for the Canadian. In the seventh game, Gauff doubled-faulted and sent two shots into the net in succession to lose the set. When the two players previously met at the Italian Open in May, Mboko also took the opening set but Gauff convincingly won the next two to snag the victory. This time around, Mboko kept her foot on the gas. 'I was actually really thinking about it a lot during the match,' she said. 'I had flashbacks to when I played her in Rome a little bit. I just remember when she came out playing even better and stepped it up a bit better. 'Wanted to step my game up a little bit more and make sure I matched whatever she was producing, and I wanted to stay right there with her.' Gauff, this year's French Open champion, scraped by with three-set wins in Rounds 2 and 3. She struggled with her serve, striking a whopping 37 double faults in the two matches combined — adding six more on Saturday. Tied 3-3, she earned three breakpoint chances with the match tied 3-3, but committed an error each time as Mboko hung on to win the game. Then with Mboko leading 5-4, Gauff doubled-faulted twice more to set up two match points for the Canadian, who quickly took advantage. It's the latest chapter in a breakthrough season for Mboko, who also played in her first two Grand Slam main draws, reaching the French Open third round and Wimbledon second round. Her impressive record in all competitions this season improved to 50-9, including 24-8 against players ranked above her. In only her seventh WTA main draw, she advanced to the quarterfinals of a 1000-level tournament for the first time, knocking off higher-ranked opponents at each step. Mboko opened with a win over 79th-ranked Kimberly Birrell, then upset 23rd seed and former Grand Slam champion Sofia Kenin before snapping Marie Bouzkova's seven-match winning streak with a relentless comeback and taking down Gauff, dropping one set the whole way. 'I do see someone who is going to have a really bright future,' Gauff said. 'She's very athletic. She's a great ball striker, and she seems pretty positive out there on the court, doesn't get really too negative. 'Hopefully we have many more battles, and I look forward to playing her again in the future." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 2, 2025. Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press
