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News11 Jul 2016


USA names team for Rio 2016 Olympic Games

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Ashton Eaton in the decathlon discus at the London 2012 Olympic Games (© Getty Images)

Five reigning Olympic gold medallists and five current world champions feature on the US team for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Of the 127 athletes on the team, 84 will be making their Olympic debut. 46 athletes already own medals from global championships, while 19 are American record-holders and three are individual world record-holders.

“The team that selected itself at the 2016 Olympic Trials combines stars who are established as the best in the world with a new generation of exciting talent,” said USATF CEO Max Siegel. “We are extremely excited about the possibilities in Rio.”

Decathlete Ashton Eaton, long jumper Brittney Reese, pole vaulter Jenn Suhr and triple jumper Christian Taylor will all defend their Olympic titles from 2012, while Olympic 200m champion Allyson Felix moves up in distance to the 400m, the event in which she won the world title last year.

Along with Eaton, Felix and Taylor, the other world champions on the team are long jumper Tianna Bartoletta and shot putter Joe Kovacs.

Bernard Lagat is the veteran of the team, in terms of both age and experience. The 41-year-old will be making his fifth trip to the Olympics after winning the 5000m at the US Olympic Trials.

Lagat has the distinction of being the oldest on the team, while the youngest is 400m hurdler Sydney McLaughlin, who will turn 17 five days before the athletics begins in Rio.

Eaton, one of the 19 American record-holders on the team, has two world records to his credit: the decathlon and indoor heptathlon. The other individual world record-holders are Suhr, who holds the world indoor pole vault record, and 400m hurdler Kerron Clement, who holds the world indoor 400m record.

The athletics programme at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games runs from 12-21 August.

US team for Rio

MEN
100m: Marvin Bracy, Trayvon Bromell, Justin Gatlin
200m: Justin Gatlin, LaShawn Merritt, Ameer Webb
400m: LaShawn Merritt, Gil Roberts, David Verburg
800m: Boris Berian, Charles Jock, Clayton Murphy
1500m: Robby Andrews, Ben Blankenship, Matthew Centrowitz
5000: Paul Chelimo, Bernard Lagat, Hassan Mead
10,000: Shadrack Kipchirchir, Leonard Korir, Galen Rupp
Marathon: Meb Keflezighi, Galen Rupp, Jared Ward
3000m steeplechase: Hillary Bor, Donn Cabral, Evan Jager
110m hurdles: Devon Allen, Ronnie Ash, Jeff Porter
400m hurdles: Kerron Clement, Byron Robinson, Michael Tinsley
50km race walk: John Nunn
High jump: Brad Adkins, Erik Kynard, Ricky Robertson
Pole vault: Logan Cunningham, Sam Kendricks, Cale Simmons
Long jump: Marquis Dendy, Jeff Henderson, Jarrion Lawson
Triple jump: Chris Benard, Will Claye, Christian Taylor
Shot put: Ryan Crouser, Darrell Hill, Joe Kovacs
Discus: Tavis Bailey, Andrew Evans, Mason Finley
Javelin: Sam Crouser, Sean Furey, Cyrus Hostetler
Decathlon: Ashton Eaton, Jeremy Taiwo, Zach Ziemek
4x100m: Marvin Bracy, Trayvon Bromell, Christian Coleman, Justin Gatlin, Tyson Gay, Mike Rodgers
4x400m: Kyle Clemons, Arman Hall, Tony McQuay, LaShawn Merritt, Gil Roberts, David Verburg

WOMEN
100m: Tianna Bartoletta, Tori Bowie, English Gardner
200m: Tori Bowie, Jenna Prandini, Deajah Stevens
400m: Allyson Felix, Phyllis Francis, Natasha Hastings
800m: Kate Grace, Chrishuna Williams, Ajee’ Wilson
1500m: Brenda Martinez, Shannon Rowbury, Jenny Simpson
5000m: Kim Conley, Abbey D’Agostino, Shelby Houlihan
10,000m: Marielle Hall, Molly Huddle, Emily Infeld
Marathon: Amy Cragg, Shalane Flanagan, Desiree Linden
3000m steeplechase: Emma Coburn, Courtney Frerichs, Colleen Quigley
100m hurdles: Nia Ali, Kristi Castlin, Brianna Rollins
400m hurdles: Sydney McLaughlin, Dalilah Muhammad, Ashley Spencer
20km race walk: Miranda Melville, Maria Michta-Coffey
High jump: Vashti Cunningham, Chaunte Lowe, Inika McPherson
Pole vault: Sandi Morris, Jenn Suhr, Lexi Weeks
Long jump: Tianna Bartoletta, Janay DeLoach, Brittney Reese
Triple jump: Christina Epps, Andrea Geubelle, Keturah Orji
Shot put: Michelle Carter, Felisha Johnson, Raven Saunders
Discus: Whitney Ashley, Kelsey Card, Shelbi Vaughan
Hammer: Gwen Berry, Amber Campbell, DeAnna Price
Javelin: Brittany Borman, Maggie Malone, Kara Winger
Heptathlon: Heather Miller-Koch, Barbara Nwaba, Kendell Williams
4x100m: Morolake Akinosun, Tianna Bartoletta, Tori Bowie, English Gardner, Jenna Prandini, Ariana Washington
4x400m: Taylor Ellis-Watson, Allyson Felix, Phyllis Francis, Natasha Hastings, Francena McCorory, Courtney Okolo