US Olympic Track and Field Trials 2021: Grant Holloway and Rai Benjamin confirm Tokyo ticket, Usain Bolt's record broken

The penultimate evening of the US Olympic Track and Field Trials 2021 was of full headline-making performances.

Rai Benjamin and Grant Holloway ran the second-fastest times in history in their respective hurdles events, while a 17-year-old broke Usain Bolt’s record.

Grant Holloway misses world record at the US Olympic Track and Field Trials 2021

Grant Holloway will never forget the evening at the US Olympic Track and Field Trials 2021. The current 110m hurdles world champion missed Aries Merritt’s world record by .01 but punched his Tokyo Olympic ticket.

Holloway finished the race in 12.81 seconds in the semi-final and won the final in 12.96 seconds. He was joined on Team USA by Devon Allen and Daniel Roberts.

Next stop: Tokyo ✌️@Flaamingoo_ x #TrackFieldTrials21 pic.twitter.com/lXKsNPGFeZ

— Team USA (@TeamUSA) June 27, 2021

Holloway’s semi-final sprint was a significant one because he moved from joint-18th fastest in history to No.2.

“The goal was to perform at a very high level. I knew once I did that, the sky was the limit,” Holloway was quoted as saying by NBCSports.

Rai Benjamin came close to breaking 29-year-old world record at the US Olympic Track and Field Trials 2021

Rai Benjamin confirmed his Tokyo Olympic berth after clocking the 400m hurdles in 46.83 seconds at the US Olympic Track and Field Trials 2021.

He was .05 seconds off breaking Kevin Young’s 1992 Olympics world record, the longest-standing record in men’s track events.

Benjamin will be eyeing a break at the Tokyo Olympics but will face stiff competition from two-time world champion Karsten Warholm of Norway.

HURDLES KING. 👑See ya in Tokyo, @_Kingben_. #TrackFieldTrials21 pic.twitter.com/Wa22SMmkNH

— Team USA (@TeamUSA) June 27, 2021

“.05 isn’t anything in the grand scheme of things. It hurts a little bit that it was right there, and I couldn’t grab it, but it’s just more fuel for the fire. … If I got a world record now, would I be able to maintain that level of fitness [for the Olympics]?” he told NBCSports after his US Olympic Track and Field Trials 2021 event.

Kenny Selmon and David Kendziera will join Benjamin.

Usain Bolt’s record falls at the US Olympic Track and Field Trials 2021

2020 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team Trials - Day 9

Meanwhile, Erriyon Knighton, 17, broke Usain Bolt’s U-20 world record at the US Olympic Track and Field Trials. The teenager ran 19.88 seconds to shatter Bolt’s 19.93 record in the 200m heats.

Interestingly, Knighton has been a serial record-breaker. Last month, he shattered the Olympic great’s U-18 world record. At US Olympic Track and Field Trials 2021 at Hayward Field in Oregon, he edged world champion Noah Lyles by .03 to confirm a place in the final.

If he qualifies at the US Olympic Track and Field Trials 2021 in the 200m event, he will be the youngest male US track and field Olympian since Jim Ryun in 1964.

Men's Events Results at US Olympic Track and Field Trials 2021

Men’s 400m Hurdles

1. Rai Benjamin — 46.83

2. Kenny Selmon — 48.08

3. David Kendziera — 48.38

4. Aldrich Bailey — 48.55

5. Khallifah Rosser — 48.81

Men’s 110m Hurdles

1. Grant Holloway — 12.96

2. Devon Allen — 13.10

3. Daniel Roberts — 13.11

4. Trey Cunningham — 13.21

5. Tai Brown — 13.32

Men’s 20km Racewalk (Nobody has Olympic standard)

1. Nick Christie — 1:30:48

2. Daniel Nehnevaj — 1:31:59

3. Emmanuel Corvera — 1:34:38

4. Steven Smith — 1:37:51

5. Anthony Joseph Gruttadauro — 1:37:59

Women's Events Results at US Olympic Track and Field Trials 2021

Women’s 200m

1. Gabby Thomas — 21.61

2. Jenna Prandini — 21.89

3. Anavia Battle — 21.95

4. Tamara Clark — 21.98

5. Allyson Felix — 22.11

Women’s 20km Racewalk (Nobody has Olympic standard)

1. Robyn Stevens — 1:35:13

2. Maria Michta-Coffey — 1:39:25

3. Miranda Melville — 1:40:39

4. Stephanie Casey — 1:42:32

5. Celina Lepe — 1:43:00

Women’s 10000m

1.Emily Sisson – 31:03.82

2. Karissa Schweizer - 31:16.52

3. Alicia Monson -- 31:18.55

4. Elise Cranny -- 31:35.22

5. Rachel Schneider -- 31:42.92

Women’s Pole Vault

1. Katie Nageotte — 4.95 meters

2. Morgann LeLeux — 4.7

3. Sandi Morris — 4.6

4. Olivia Gruver — 4.6

5. Jenn Suhr — 4.6

Women’s Hammer

1. DeAnna Price — 80.31 meters

2. Brooke Andersen — 77.72

3. Gwendolyn Berry — 73.50

4. Janee Kassanavoid — 73.45

5. Lisa Wilson — 70.90

Women’s Javelin

1. Maggie Malone — 63.5 meters

2. Kara Winger — 61.47

3. Avione Allgood-Whetstone — 58.94 (doesn’t have Olympic standard)

4. Arianna Ince — 57.49

5. Kylee Carter — 55.28

Women’s Long Jump

1. Brittney Reese — 7.13 meters

2. Tara Davis — 7.04

3. Quanesha Burks — 6.96

4. Tiffany Flynn — 6.8

5. Malaina Payton — 6.79